It’s half a million quid’s worth of my property, or it belongs to the community? When did Graffiti become so valuable? When the Art world got involved that’s when.

When Banksy, the Über-cool underground graffiti merchant decide to deface the wall of Poundland in Haringey in the middle of the night, in the eyes of some, he had ceased to be a graffiti merchant and had become an artist of merit graciously donating his precious works to the community. Not that the work had any great technical merit, you understand, you can’t achieve technical merit when you are dodging policemen with spray can in hand, but Über-cool is Über-valuable in the art world, and one is obliged to use pretentious foreign language prepositions like Über if you are going to write about it. It is also obligatory to refer to those who have to walk past this graffiti every day as ‘the community’.

Naturally, communities have community leaders these days. So it is in Haringey. When someone (we will discuss later who ‘someone’ might be) removed this graffiti and put it up for sale in America, ‘community leader’ Alan Strickland  (who is what we used to call a local councillor in the pre-Über times, before we found out where the umlaut key was) invoked the might of the Arts Council to ‘explore whether this art work was being exported appropriately’ (good luck with that one – it’s less than 50 years old thus not covered by the relevant legislation).

“People are rightly disgusted that a gift to the community could be privately sold for huge profit,” said Alan Strickland.

Why would they be disgusted at private property being sold at a profit? That apparently stems from them being terribly depressed at having destroyed acres of private property by their own hands during the 2011 riots.

Councilor Alan Strickland said the work had become “a real symbol of local pride” in an area badly hit in England’s August 2011 riots. He said its disappearance had left residents “shocked and angry.”

Needless to say, an MP was soon legging it along behind the bandwagon, as fast as her little legs could carry her:

“(It’s) totally unethical that something so valued should be torn without warning from its community context.” said Lynne Featherstone.

If I could be bothered, I’d be out tonight painting some suitable graffiti on Lynne Feathestone’s front door just to see how long it takes before an original Anna Raccoon, in fact possibly the only one in existence, is ‘torn without warning from its community context’……

It has, of course, become incredibly down-wi-da-yoof (can I sneak another Über-cool in here?) to admire the skill involved in pulling your hoodie over your eyes, pushing your wooden handcart down the street in the middle of the night, attaching a stencil to someone else’s wall and letting rip with the spray can – just so long as it’s not your million pound pile in Primrose Hill that gets defaced, and so long as its being done by someone who loathes the Royal family, (why even Murdoch’s Sunday Times commissioned Banksy to deface a wall in aid of its front cover and actually filmed him committing this criminal act) and the ‘artist’  believes that all property is theft, everyone should get an upgrade in their dole money and all right wing politicians should be hung…it’s a thrilling dip-your-toe in harmless anarchy and establishment poking. How naughty!

Add in a dollop of Pseud’s Corner from the art world, with a soupçon (I’m getting the hang of this) of Liberal hand wringing mansion envy (so long as it’s not their mansion) and one stencil on the side of Poundland, that proudly iconic food hall of the horse-meat eating class, has become an artifact to rival the Elgin marbles. Only one thing missing from this trip through the left wing lexicon. What could it be? We’ve done ‘appropriately’, unethical, Über, and community…ah so, a Twitter campaign!

“Pls RT. Save our Banksy from sale. Let’s all email art company auctioning it on info@faamiami.com. Tell them to withdraw it from auction.”

And Yea! Councillor Strickland’s Twitter campaign resulted in thousands of Retweets, and abusive phone calls to the auctioneers.

Critics have accused the auction house of dealing in stolen property but Thut insisted earlier in the week that the consignor, who he described as a “well-known collector”, was the rightful owner and that the sale was legal.

He added that his gallery had been inundated with emails and phone calls from the UK, saying that many of them were abusive or offensive.

Poundland, meanwhile, had instructed their ‘social media executive’ (every firm should have one) to send out a stream of Tweets denying that they owned the building, nor had anything to do with removing the graffiti.

Claire Kober, the leader of Haringey council, wrote to Arts Council England and the mayor of Miami, Tomas Regalado, to ask them to intervene to stop the sale but it appears the decision to withdraw the item came from the gallery owners in consultation with their lawyers. The FBI refused to confirm reports they were asked to investigate.

Yes, mob rule was successful. They had managed to stop an individual selling his property through a combination of emotive declarations and ‘the power of the community’.

By this time the value of a lump of concrete defaced by an anonymous individual had soared to half a million quid. The Banksy PR department, whether controlled by him or not, was not finished yet. On Friday afternoon came news to horrify any left wing foot-soldier.  Banksy had been arrested, named, and charged with vandalism and counterfeiting.

Were the troops horrified that their iconic artiste (I thought I’d add an ‘e’ there for effect) proved to have such a love of the filthy lucre that he had taken up counterfeiting? Nope, they didn’t even mention it. Were they appalled that his art was described as vandalism? One or two mentioned it, but only in passing – but to a man, they rose up in horror at the idea of the ‘bloody pigs’ daring to name their precious anonymous hero. They flooded Twitter. How could ‘the pigs’ name Che Guevara’s successor,  Haringey’s own freedom-from the-chains-of-capitalism (but don’t stop my dole money yet) fighter as a boring ‘Paul’ from suburbia? They haven’t been so outraged since the Daily Mail tried to claim that he was an ordinary cock-Robin from Bristol – and a public schoolboy to boot.

“Banksy is not one, but of the many, anonymous and embedded in the collective mind of the rationals. More valuable than any Picasso, Vermeer, Gaugain or smirking portrait creator, Banksy is among us, all.”

The Police station where he was alleged to be held was flooded with fake Banksy’s, all telling them they had the wrong Banksy…”I’m Sparticus”.

It was, of course, a hoax press release. So what, Banksy was once more trending on Twitter, the ‘Banksy’ is still to be sold.

Someone, somewhere will soon be laughing all the way to the banksy.

m.barnes February 26, 2013 at 13:10

Surely the fact that this original artwork has been removed validates it’s
credentials and those of the artist? The fate of all graffitti is to be
covered over – either by oppresive councils or other graffitti artisits in the
spirit of challenge and dare. Banksy, as a true graffitti artists, intends,
with his philosophy of underground guerilla art and his anonymity, to bring to
our attention the temporary nature of great art. He is anonymous (as an urban
artist is – graffitti artist is such a pejorative description), he seeks to
avoid the police and the uncreative law courts (as urban artists do) and so
his art MUST, in the end, be removed. There is a perfect circularity to this
momentous event – a Banksy original has finally achieved its higher purpose
and moved on to a new plane of artistry.

Ho Hum February 26, 2013 at 13:56

Does the Eye’s ‘Pseuds Corner’ print blog comments?

M Barnes
February 27, 2013 at 12:59

Too many typos…… I shall take that as a compliment anyway

Ho Hum February 25, 2013 at 09:51

On further reflection, if those protesting as to the merits of such artwork
were to stand in front of the trains to prevent their sale, we might be on to
something

Ted Treen February 25, 2013 at 13:39

Only if they stand in front of the trains while the said trains are
travelling at speed between stations…

Ho Hum February 25, 2013 at 14:29

‘Between stations’? You only need to stand on the edge of the platform
at Northallerton to seriously risk your flesh entering the food chain…

Ho Hum February 25, 2013 at 09:50

Let’s hope that no-one decides that there is more money to be made in
selling our artistically modified trains, than by running them

Moor
Larkin February 25, 2013 at 00:25

Berlin street art is rather more ambitious, and highly unlikely to be
chiselled off by anyone
http://www.streetartutopia.com/?p=7497

binao February 24, 2013 at 23:12

Sorry to seem so lacking in empathy for ‘Community Art’, but as an on/off
Parish councillor (i.e very bottom of the food chain) over many years, I’d
like think we’d have encouraged the property owner to have the daub painted
over pretty sharpish. I don’t think too many would even need to be
asked.
Perhaps Haringey’s different?

Cascadian February 24, 2013 at 19:07

Once again when logic and the English dictionary comes up against the
peoples republic of Haringey hilarity ensues.

I am of the opinion that graffiti is not art, but then having viewed some
modern “art” one is inclined to observe that some graffiti requires greater
skill and better technique, it has also never been a crime to sell mugs
sub-standard goods provided the transaction is managed by an art dealer. As to
private property becoming public space perhaps by transubstantiation I thought
that was now well established in the various peoples republics. Therefore you
can very easily see how the hard-of-thinking (perhaps defined by areas voting
liebour) could become confused and easily enraged. After all similar methods
were used to convince the same “victims” to loot and burn their neighbourhoods
two years ago.

Then again I am amused by the landlady, and would definitely contribute to
any out-of-pocket expenses she might incur to spray paint a bandit-like
raccoon on Lynn Featherbrain’s door, hopefully prominently signed

RAC-
COON

The art community and police community art co-ordinator would then need to
decide whether this was art or a hate crime, and whether the door could be
removed to the evidence locker or had to remain as a community art
installation.

Or more succinctly-what Julia just said.

JuliaM February
24, 2013 at 18:19

You can no more steal graffiti than you can steal litter…

Bill
Sticker February 24, 2013 at
20:51

Exactly.

john Leon February 24, 2013 at 18:15

O.K. I am being stoopid here but how did the ‘artwork’ get removed from a
wall, did they chisel out a slab of the building, did they dissolve the paint
from the cement and re apply it via some super trick technology…….I am
confused.

Jabba the Cat February 24, 2013 at 21:31

I did wonder that myself, being under the impression the graffiti was on
what looked like cement and sand rendering, and being well acquainted with
removing rendering, know how easily the stuff falls apart…

Thor2Hammer February 24, 2013 at 17:39

Why haven’t ‘The Council’ started prosecution against the owner of the shop
for allowing the mural to be displayed without Planning Permission?

Thor2Hammer February 24, 2013 at 17:36

I’m worried (perhaps ‘Shocked -nay appalled’?) that the Council haven’t
started prosecution against the owner of the shop for allowing the mural to be
displayed to the detriment of the environment & without Planning
Permission..

Moor
Larkin February 24, 2013 at 17:09

Maybe he will visit the Raccoon Arms one fine-art day….
http://www.archive-jmu-journalism.org.uk/#/news-77/4535527979

MTG February 24, 2013 at 16:27

Weekend urine murals freely adorn Yorkshire shop doorways and our village
walls are littered with some terrific Emins. We boast some of the finest
displays of used condoms, blood-stained underwear and stool sculpture, all of
which are simply abandoned to the elements.

The true artisan can rise above any vulgar interest in street Art’s
financial worth, Anna.

Mark February 24, 2013 at 15:35

Hmmmm I reckon that if someone put graffiti on a my wall of mine I’d
consider it to be a personal gift and be fully entitled to sell it regardless
of who in my community could see it. An Anna racoon original? I’ve a good wall
here.

Joe Public February 24, 2013 at 12:52

Bloody brilliant, Anna.

Thanks for enlivening my Sunday.

Wendi February 24, 2013 at 12:50

First shot of ‘community’ interviewee by BBC World (News) on the ‘removal’
being a rather scruffy looking female who could only articulate “Gobsmacked,
gobsmacked” – wot ‘appened to the English language?

Cascadian February 24, 2013 at 19:26

The English language is rarely used these days, and when it is, the words
do not have the same meaning you were taught in elementary school. For an
explanation refer to Orwell’s 1984.

Haringey’s yoof population speak a very peculiar language, which BBC
correspondents try to emulate to enhance their street cred. Street cred is
further enhanced by welfare-chic uncombed hair and jumble sale clothing.