Cleaners Paint Over Priceless Art

The Melbourne city council learned the hard way that one man's art is another man's crap on a wall that needs to be painted over. The council hired a cleanup crew to get rid of graffiti on Hosier Lane, a street renowned for its street art. While there, the crew got rid of the graffiti, as well as a piece by Banksy, who is regarded as one of the world's greatest street artists. From the article: "The reclusive Banksy ... painted several stencils in Melbourne during a 2003 visit. His satirical and distinctive art is often directed at anti-war, cultural, and anti-capitalist themes. Banksy in 2005 painted nine images on Israel's West Bank barrier, including a ladder going over the wall and an image of children breaking through to a tropical island. In 2008, a London wall bearing one of his stencils was said to have sold on eBay for almost $500,000."

Comments

it's != its

[Dagger2]

a street renowned for it's street art

Look, it's bad enough seeing this in the comments constantly, without having it in the summary itself. Is it so difficult to just read your sentence to yourself -- "a street renowned for it is street art" -- and realize that it's not quite right?

Hrm. Bit of an overstatement, innit?

[d1r3lnd]

FTFA: "In 2008, a London wall bearing one of his stencils was said to have sold on eBay for almost $500,000."

It's not actually priceless, then. Besides, the guy's still alive, and might even have the stencils, still.

The painter did his job.

[blair1q]

The person who ordered the graffiti removal did not.

Re:The painter did his job.

[aztracker1]

I have to agree here... ART, especially "Street Art" is very subjective. And the line between art and graffiti is incredibly blurred. Beyond this, if the "artist" didn't have permission to paint/draw on those walls/buildings it is graffiti.

define art?

[Tordre]

So a man with a stencil and spray paint make 'street art" and a stereotype with spray paint makes 'graffiti'?

Newsworthy

[imakemusic]

I can totally see why this is newsworthy. I mean it's not like it's happened before.

/sarcasm

Re:I doubt Banksy would care

[Darinbob]

I think the word "priceless" is overblown. If it's priceless, then protect it. If this artist indeed wanted lasting work, he'd ask for permissions first and then choose a location likely to be preserved instead of the side of a building like any old generic graffiti. How is the average person supposed to know the difference between vandalism graffiti and art graffiti anyway? This is just like the museum janitor who threw away the collection of rubbish that was an art exhibit, because it happened to look just like any other collection of rubbish. By choosing graffiti as his medium, this artist is seemingly intending to create an ephemeral work.

Now slashdot will be on Conroy's blacklist

[ross.w]

You've discussed graffiti, which is a crime in Australia and material that discusses or promotes it are Refused Classification. Welcome to the blacklist ladies and gentlemen, with more to come.

Re:I doubt Banksy would care

[AP31R0N]

Waxing Toreador for a moment:

i like the idea that this sort of work is ephemeral. You have to be in a certain place at a certain time to experience. His work has to be found because it's not in a museum, gallery or Hot Topic. The disposable nature of his work is appropriate. i like these street artists who make life a bit more surreal and make the mundane (and ugly) funny or even meaningful.

Besides, we have cameras and websites to make him and his work immortal.