A mysterious piece of Banksy graffiti appears on two homeowners’ walls, sparking a tale of art, controversy and the complexities of dealing with street art.
When Sam woke up one morning to find a piece of graffiti that looked like a Banksy on the wall outside her house, she was left wondering what to do. She had purchased the property in Margate from a tenant who had sent her a photo of the artwork, which turned out to be Valentine’s Day Mascara, one of Banksy‘s most interesting new works.
Banksy is a British street artist, activist, and filmmaker whose real name remains unknown.
He gained international recognition for his satirical and often provocative works of art that critique modern society, politics, and culture.
Banksy's artistic style combines stenciling, graffiti, and installation techniques to create thought-provoking pieces that challenge viewers' perspectives.
Born in the early 1970s, Banksy's identity remains a mystery, adding to his enigmatic persona.
His works have been exhibited in galleries worldwide, with some selling for millions of dollars.
Sam called Julian Usher at Red Eight Gallery, and his team promised to send someone over immediately. They were aware that new Banksy‘s are under immediate threat from street cleaners, the weather, rival graffiti artists, and other art dealers. The piece was covered quickly, and Julian explained that it could potentially be worth a lot of money.
The Valentine’s Day Mascara speaks to the theme of domestic violence, which usually spikes each Valentine’s Day. It depicts a 50s housewife with a black eye, a broken plastic chair, and a fridge-freezer with painted legs. The artwork was part of Banksy‘s Great British Staycation campaign to cheer people up after Covid lockdown.
However, when the refuse collectors arrived to remove the fridge freezer, it caused a free-for-all, with the public helping themselves to the remnants. A media scrum followed, and the local council struggled to deal with the situation. The artwork was eventually removed, but not before it had gained international attention.
Banksy‘s team left behind oil painter Peter Brown, commissioned to capture the scenes he would miss. Pete ‘The Street’ Brown explained that Banksy was questioning what the art was about – whether it was about the graffiti itself or the reaction afterwards and what happens to it.
As luck would have it, Pete was captured on video just as Banksy‘s team were putting the finishing touches to Valentine’s Day Mascara. In the video, one of Banksy‘s team members let a local kid play with their drone.
Alongside Sam, we’ve been following the story of Gert and Gary, who also woke up to find a piece of graffiti that looked like a Banksy on their wall in Lowestoft, Suffolk. The artwork depicted a massive seagull that needed to be enormous for Banksy‘s visual gag to work. The bird was part of Banksy‘s Great British Staycation campaign.
However, Gert was not cheered up by the news. She felt that the council should have been more supportive and protective of the artwork. When questioned about how she knew it was a Banksy, she replied that there was scaffolding erected on the side of the house, but no phone number to contact.
Gert‘s experience highlights the challenges faced by homeowners who wake up to find a piece of graffiti that looks like a Banksy on their wall. The problem is that nobody seems to know who owns the artwork or how to protect it. The council has been accused of being slow and unhelpful, while the public has been seen taking advantage of the situation.
The two stories have ended up having entirely different outcomes. While the piece in Margate is now on the verge of selling for well over £1m, with a sizeable chunk set to go to a domestic violence charity, the piece in Lowestoft languishes in a climate-controlled warehouse, costing its owners £3,000 per month.
Banksy's street art has become highly valued due to its rarity and exclusivity.
In 2018, his painting 'Girl with Balloon' sold for $1.4 million at an auction in London.
However, the artwork was later shredded by a remote-controlled shredder installed in the frame, reducing its value.
Despite this incident, Banksy's street art continues to fetch high prices at auctions, with some pieces selling for over $10 million.
The value of his art lies in its unique blend of politics, social commentary, and artistic skill.
The seagull isn’t the only Banksy in Lowestoft – an artwork depicting a child near a dug-up pavement appeared in 2021. The situation highlights the complexities of dealing with street art and the challenges faced by homeowners who wake up to find a piece of graffiti that looks like a Banksy on their wall.
Some argue that worried homeowners should simply ‘get busy with five litres of white emulsion and paint it out.’ However, this approach ignores the fact that context is everything when it comes to art. Removing the work from its original location can instantly lose its power.
Street art preservation involves protecting and conserving urban murals, graffiti, and other forms of street art from damage, destruction, or removal.
This can be achieved through various methods, including creating protected areas for street artists to work in, implementing laws that safeguard street art, and engaging local communities in the preservation process.
In cities like Berlin and Melbourne, street art has become an integral part of the urban landscape, attracting tourists and boosting local economies.
According to a study by the Urban Land Institute, 'well-preserved street art can increase property values by up to 12%'.
Banksy has elevated graffiti into a new art form, now monetized – street art. Banksy‘s signed prints can sell for six-figure sums. Graffiti, or street art, has not just come of age; it is now an asset class. Given this, how can any homeowner feel okay about scrubbing away a Banksy without feeling as if they have smashed a Ming vase?
As Sam says, after two years of dealing with the Banksy circus, ‘going back to normal life now is going to be terribly boring.’ The new season of The Banksy Story is available on BBC Sounds.
