White out

[B00]

http://www.dailymail....ed-Muslim-centre.html

I can't be on my own in agreeing with the building owner that it looks a damn sight better now?

I personally think it looked awful before and looked like what it was, graffiti, and weird graffiti at that.

[R1Geezer]

Just the Daubings of a vandal,the sooner the scum is locked up the better. whitewashing this "art" was a huge improvement, can believe the bloke is actually trying to recover it.

[Gromit]

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Correction. It was valued at £240,000 and the owners turned it down as not enough.

[LoftyLottie]

It was an affront to the eye. I don't care who the artist was, it is revolting. I like pretty pictures!! I really do get fed up with what passes as art these days. I could do better (and I mean it - I really could!!)

[B00]

Can we assume that this "artist" Banksy doesn't get a penny then for his <ahem> art? Rather the owners of whichever wall or building he's ruined does? Kinda like the irony of that one!

[mccfluff]

i like his art

[Gromit]

No, the artwork is owned by the owner of the wall, and the artist gets nothing. If it costs £1000 to carefully remove the emulsion, and £4000 to cut it out of the wall, and then you can sell it for £100,000 and never see it again, wouldn't you be desperately trying to restore it?

[ethandron]

i think he's great and love his good humoured subversiveness. his art is what it is, and all of it non-permanent. i have his book - wall and piece - very interesting

[pa___ul3]

no offence lottie but it's unfair to decide what should pass as art and what shouldn't based on your own opinion. Art is expression and Banksy's unique in his style and medium. He does it for no profit, for no personal fame (as no one knows who he is) and it transcends 'classes' probably better than any other modern artist.
'tagging' is vandalism, Banksy's works are decoration!

[jno]

sure does. I hate graffiti "artists", and that includes Banksy, for taking over public spaces to display their own egos for private gratification. Let him buy canvases like everyone else. As for it being worth zillions, he can always paint another one if he feels outraged.

Good luck with the glue.

[B00]

Agree Paul, art is subjective, however to inflict your "art" onto someone else or in this case, their property, which Banksy has done here is vandalism, pure and simple.

[Gromit]

Art is subjective.

My local council has spent a fortune on many very bad sculptures dotted about the borough. They enrage me every time I see them. I would much rather see an amusing banksy that the crass effigies my council spends my Council Tax on.

[LoftyLottie]

Agree with jno though Paul. You are forced to look at this guy's art which in my opinion is defacing a building. Yes Art is subjective. I don't think I would approve either of a Picasso, a Constable or Turner plastered all over the outside of a building.

[LoftyLottie]

If I painted the outside of my house with a huge gorilla and it was my idea of art then I would be asked to remove it. Who decides what is art and what is not.

[LoftyLottie]

What I am trying to say is who says what is graffiti and ugly and has to be removedand who decides what is art and can stay?

[pa___ul3]

then you could say the same about Antoni Gaudi's works in Barcelona, not paintings but art, admittedly on his own property but there for all to see. Banksy seems to do his pieces in areas that are already pretty run down so it doesn't seem to make too much difference to the over all look of the area.

[LoftyLottie]

I see what you mean, but Gaudi's works are from scratch as you say, not on other people's buildings.

Quite honestly though Paul, I think works such as Banksie's actually draw attention to how run down an area is. I would just rather see the houses, etc. painted.

[tamborine]

Banksy's art is revolutionary, anti-establishment, art to the masses....that's the point. The building was bought with the art in place.

As Gromit says, the new owner is trying to restore the value of his real estate, alas....too late !

[LoftyLottie]

Well tambo, I am not one of the masses!

I only appreciate the finer things in life ;o)

(And the bloke probably bought the building with the intention of painting over the graffiti, as most people would)

[carrot99]

I thought that gorilla was very sweet - but then I think Banksy is brilliant...