Comments on: Anti-capitalist London graffiti mysteriously removed, offered for sale in Miami for $500,000

By: jansob

jansob — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 02:07:00 +0000

Indeed.

I wonder how these protesters would feel if someone painted a trenchant, clever commentary on their car one night and they were then told that they couldn’t sell it, repaint it, or move to another neighborhood because people have grown accustomed to it.

I like his work, and I would have left it there, but I wouldn’t disparage someone else from doing otherwise.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:31:00 +0000

I’ve never heard someone compare, say, a Da Vinci or Rembrandt to tagging.

Incorrect. You just did.

By: SomeGuyNamedMark

SomeGuyNamedMark — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:17:00 +0000

I’ve seen real artwork and murals. There is a big difference between that and tagging.

By: SomeGuyNamedMark

SomeGuyNamedMark — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:15:00 +0000

I’ve never heard someone compare, say, a Da Vinci or Rembrandt to tagging. I think you are clutching at straws here.

I guess the pyramids of Egypt are just another rich guy’s heap of rock.

By: SomeGuyNamedMark

SomeGuyNamedMark — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:13:00 +0000

When I see the same tag repeated a million times (and scratched into every mirror) I seriously doubt they are working on their painting skills.

By: SomeGuyNamedMark

SomeGuyNamedMark — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:08:00 +0000

But how can you decorate your trophy home without stealing?

By: Zak McKracken

Zak McKracken — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:52:00 +0000

There was a stand in Camden a year ago, I think called Purplegherkin. Talked to the owner: They actually gave a percentage to whichever artist was featured that week, and the guy seemed to know some of them. They still made most their money with Banksy stuff but paid mostly to artists less well-known. Since they insisted on using only quality or in some way eco-friendly material, they didn’t stay in business for long because tourists would just buy whatever they wanted where it’s cheapest, even if it was just scanned from a photo book and printed on whatever.
… If I hadn’t talked to the guy, I’d never known this existed, and would likely have gone somewhere else where it’s cheaper, which shows the whole problem.

By: Madzia

Madzia — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:04:00 +0000

Wow, lots of ridiculous analogies in this thread. :O

By: UltraVerified

UltraVerified — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:24:00 +0000

Waltons, Koch Brothers, Jack Welch and Donald Trump will be in a a bidding war to crank that measly $500K up to a couple of mil in no time.

“Looks great in the foyer”

By: Madzia

Madzia — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:15:00 +0000

Seriously, you’re comparing racial discrimination with the right to have your own building painted the way you want to instead of how some random artist wants to?

By: Madzia

Madzia — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:06:00 +0000

How would he give it back to the community? By replacing it on the building? Then the owner can remove it again.

By: Madzia

Madzia — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:05:00 +0000

Well, I’d rather the art had remained where it was, especially since the community seemed to appreciate it, but when a graffiti artist (even banksy) paints on someone else’s property, he knowingly accepts several risks. One is being prosecuted. Another is having his work destroyed. The third- well, here it is, the owner of the ‘canvas’ making a profit from the unsolicited art.

One can be upset, but there’s not much ground for righteous outrage. Just remember that without those risks, the art wouldn’t be such a big deal. The full effect is due to quality+message+placement+illegality.

By: oswarez

oswarez — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:36:00 +0000

Doesn’t Bansky usually sign his pieces?
And it’s fairly easy to copy the look of his most famous ones. I’d say that shelling out a half a mill for un signed stencil art is retarded.

By: aperturehead

aperturehead — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 05:37:00 +0000

I bailed on the Banksy bus when I first saw Banksy postcards, key-rings and cute Banksy stationery for sale in Camden Market about five years ago. I think it was all unauthorised/bootleg goods, but still… it’s important sometimes to allow the bus to drive off without you.

By: L_Mariachi

L_Mariachi — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 05:19:00 +0000

Has Banksy even claimed authorship? Because half a million bucks for a piece with no provenance… Yeah, good luck with that.

By: Cleo

Cleo — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 04:57:00 +0000

Extreme? Hardly! The practice of capturing people like animals from their homelands and then trading them in markets thousands of miles away, sold as property without basic human rights… Why, it draws numerous parallels with the removal of artwork from a building. For one thing, it’s a dick move. Also, the historical repercussions of each will reverberate for centuries, with generations of the descendants of slaves (and walls) fighting for equality. There are others. Too many to list really.

By: acropunk

acropunk — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 04:22:00 +0000

Yeah and if you want to end racial discrimination, get proper authorization before protesting it. The only way to change the system is by using the system and playing by its rules.

By: acropunk

acropunk — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 04:18:00 +0000

So, you prefer gray concrete?

I say have at it. Allow all walls to get painted and maybe U.S. architecture will look more like Mexico: colorful and diverse.

By: acropunk

acropunk — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 04:12:00 +0000

Translation: ‘As long as everyone involved followed rules and regulations, hurrah.’

Hope you never run a red light and become a hypocrite.

By: austinhamman

austinhamman — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 02:23:00 +0000

yeah and if your kid dies you can always make another right?

By: Just_Ok

Just_Ok — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 02:21:00 +0000

Everything’s better with cheese.

By: owens4414

owens4414 — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 02:20:00 +0000

Hey, you’re preaching to the choir; I wish the piece were still there. But such is the bargain a street artist makes when they use another’s property as a free canvas, you get your art seen for all the (local) world but the owner’s the right to do with it as he pleases.

By: Al Corrupt

Al Corrupt — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 02:11:00 +0000

This is also a massive problem threatening indigenous rock art, here in Australia (and no doubt, elsewhere). Those who deal in art, are not ‘arty’, they are just scum. Try creating some art instead.

By: Flashman

Flashman — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 01:18:00 +0000

The only way something like this would remotely acceptable and not completely shitty – in fact it would be hilarious – would be if a prized Banksy was removed only to reappear in the National Archaeological Museum of Greece in Athens

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:28:00 +0000

You’ve made an obnoxious comment expressing your pleasure at something that has obviously made a lot of other people unhappy. And now you’re butthurt at being told off for your greed-hate philosophy. Excuse the shit out of me if your feelings are hurt.

By: Gilbert Wham

Gilbert Wham — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:52:00 +0000

Sturgeon’s Law applies everywhere.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:10:00 +0000

…you get to write on someone else’s wall, but they’ve the right to take it down/paint over it.

Yes, everybody was so upset about it being there that they installed a plexiglass screen to protect it.

By: Marja Erwin

Marja Erwin — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:59:00 +0000

Where’s the irony in an anarchist bookstore being firebombed? Authoritarians have been attacking and burning anarchist spaces since before anarchism was a movement.

By: Bevatron Repairman

Bevatron Repairman — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:43:00 +0000

Antonious, if you’d rather I just not comment here, please just say so.
I like BoingBoing rather a lot and I’ve been posting on here for years and years and even though I don’t quite fit in politically — although I’m probably far closer to your view on more than you imagine — I think I’m mostly polite about my positions. I’ve certainly never directed any vitriol at any other regular (or occasional) commenter. If that’s not enough to pass middle management scrutiny, just let me know.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:26:00 +0000

Sadly 99% of the graffiti I see is the same endless bubble letter tags. No creativity, just lots of “Look at me!”.

Sadly, 99% of the old master oil paintings that I see are the same endless portraits of rich, white people. No creativity, just lots of, “Look at my expensive lace ruff!”