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

Missing links

[UnifiedTechs]

Here is the missing links:

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/artdesign/story/2010/04/28/melbourne-banksy-street-art.html

http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct2=us%2F0_0_s_2_0_t&ct3=MAA4AEgCUABqAnVz&usg=AFQjCNErhVxz8bHDdfGDdi5fhOOSg3qxFw&cid=17593745138431&ei=PGfYS7CQH4PC8wSzvZuXAg&rt=STORY&vm=STANDARD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theage.com.au%2Fvictoria%2Fmore-banksy-street-art-in-melbourne-20100428-ts54.html%3Fautostart%3D1

http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct2=us%2F0_0_s_3_0_t&ct3=MAA4AEgDUABqAnVz&usg=AFQjCNEsUfIyFhXFwCLurPxuIXL7jMgM5A&cid=17593745138431&ei=PGfYS7CQH4PC8wSzvZuXAg&rt=STORY&vm=STANDARD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fworldnews%2Farticle-1269215%2FMelbourne-Council-orders-Banksy-street-art-painted-mistake.html%3Fito%3Dfeeds-newsxml

All over the world

[Evildonald]

This has happened all over London as well. In the 4 years I was there.. i used to know of about 25 pieces.. and when i left they were down to about 7. The small "Rats" have a particular knack of getting painted over.. they are all gone, bar one that I know of, in London.

A london wall sold for almost $500000

[Anonymous Coward]

I bet most of that was shipping and handling.

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?

Re:it's != its

[Rene S. Hollan]

Yes, but most people don't recognize "it's" as a contraction, and think of it as the possessive form.

I used to make that mistake alot. :-)

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.

I doubt Banksy would care

[SirWhoopass]

Isn't Banksy's position that he likes the perishable nature of his art?

Re:I doubt Banksy would care

[blair1q]

Dunno. He'd paint under a roof if he didn't mind weathering.

But he's probably not all that enamored of negligence. Unless that's what he's trying to do, give the negligent something to expose themselves over.

Same deal for those who maliciously deface his work or steal it.

So maybe he does "like" it.

And what's lost? Some high-precision doodles, really. But we get a whole slashdot thread out of it.

Well...in the Idle section...

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.

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.

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.

Re:The painter did his job.

[Profane MuthaFucka]

And if I dump one of my Picassos on your lawn, it's trash.

It's grafitti painted by a guy who could have fucked any number of hot babes in expensive cities around the world, because of his skills with a hardware store spray paint can.

Doesn't matter what you call it! Banksy can get laid like nobody's business.

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

Banksy's loves war?!

[YourExperiment]

His satirical and distinctive art is often directed at anti-war, cultural, and anti-capitalist themes.

So he's pro-war, anti-culture and pro-capitalsm? I guess I must have somewhat misinterpreted his art.

Agreed!

[Anonymous Coward]

I totally agree with you. Its really annoying when people get they're apostrophes wrong.

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:Art?

[Nyder]

I understand the "creative class" needs their validation because they cannot cope with the real world. But graffiti is vandalism. Deal with it.
What if one of them takes a shit on your porch and calls it "art?"

Put it in a paper bag, set that bag on fire, ring the door bell.

It's not art, but it sure in hell is funny.