Aaaargh

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Permalink Reply by Alice Lemaitre on February 23, 2013 at 10:44

looks like a copy of a Banksy anyhow so if anyone tries to pinch it it would be cost them more money than it's worth.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on February 23, 2013 at 13:29

Ah, but when is a copy not a copy? 

When the artist was there?  Banksy, himself?  In person.  Himself.

So maybe those three blokes who were seen by an eyewitness were Banksy with his friends George and Dilbert. Okay, so it wasn't Banksy but three people from his team? Or perhaps work experience interns from the Banksy job creation scheme? Does it matter? After all, they used "original" Banksy-style stencils and paint spraycans approved by Banksy. Didn't they?

Am I showing less than due deference to the artist? Not at all. I've always had a deep respect and I mean that most sincerely. His stencils are fantastic, that is really what I think. Oh by the way, which one's Banksy?

When is a copy not a copy? When it's from an artificially scarce numbered and signed limited edition? When you can see the  brushwork in the blobs of oils ; fingerprints in the clay ; bits of dirty rag on the pavement near Poundland where they wiped the excess spraypaint off the stencil? We are honoured. There should be a plaque.

"And did we tell you the name of the game?
We call it Riding the Gravy Train."

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Permalink Reply by Alice Lemaitre on February 23, 2013 at 14:27

don't think Banksy reuses his stencils. That's why reproducing his work on pictures or on walls or even in books is not interesting. His work has to be seen 'in situ' because it is in reference to the cityscape. That's why removing it, taking it to Miami, hanging it anywhere else is pointless. When that happens it only has some kind of mercantile value, no more artistic value. People who took it, including the auction house, have no sense of what art is about. It would be great if Banksy made a statement about it but if he does he will make it somewhere else. Maybe nearer the auction house and on a public building so no one can take it away. We'd better watch the Shepard Fairey work because it is also on a private building...

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