Art, Value & Banksy’s Rats in Melbourne
May 10, 2010
EXCERPT
Author: Alison Young
It seems that Melbourne City Council just can’t get it right when it comes to street art, and especially when it comes to the work of Banksy: two weeks ago, they “accidentally” ordered a cleaning crew to remove one of Banksy’s iconic rats from a wall on Hosier Lane in the center of the city. The news of this rodent’s demise was greeted by a storm of media attention & criticism.
When Banksy visited Melbourne in 2003 he left dozens of stenciled works around the city. Most of these have disappeared, without any media coverage at all. But in 2008, it was clear that the status of Banksy’s art in Melbourne, as in many other cities around the world, had changed.
So what was different? Well, the answer lies in the value attributed to Banksy’s art after the 2006 exhibition of Banksy’s work in a show in Los Angeles called Barely Legal. The show was a huge success, and turned the elusive and anonymous figure into something of a celebrity. As is well know, his works then sold at auction and on eBay for large sums of money.
The combination of media attention and financial success lead many to take steps to “protect” or “preserve” Banksy’s works on the street.
This is an excerpt of an article by Alison Young with images by Andrew Mac/Citylights Projects.
You can read the full article here at HyperAllergic.com