Banksy mural obliterated by graffiti removal team

By Arifa Akbar

Published: 20 April 2007 The Independent

A mural of two Hollywood actors toting bananas instead of guns was widely considered to be one of London's finest examples of graffiti art by the artist Banksy.

But not everyone, it appears, recognised the artistic merits of the portrait of John Travolta and Samuel L Jackson - a reworking of their roles in Pulp Fiction - near Old Street Tube station in east London.

The mural has been painted over by cleaners believed to be working for Transport for London. A TfL statement said a "tough line" had to be taken on graffiti because it created an "atmosphere of neglect and social decay which encourages crime". The statement continued: "We have no intention of changing this policy as it makes the transport system safer and more pleasant for passengers. We recognise that there are those who view Banksy's work as legitimate art, but sadly our graffiti removal teams are staffed by professional cleaners, not professional art critics."

The mural had stood for more than five years on the wall of an electricity sub-station and was one of Banksy's best-known pieces.In its place, another graffiti artist has since spelt out the words "come back" in large, spray-painted letters.

George Thomas, who owns a barber's shop near the site in Shoreditch, said he was astonished that it had been painted over. "It was a real draw to the area," he said. "People used to come from all over to see it and photograph it. It was a hugely original piece of art. There is no way it could have been mistaken for graffiti. Whoever destroyed it is an idiot."

An unnamed friend of the artist said its loss was a blow for the art world and for London. "The Pulp Fiction piece was the most iconic of all Banksy's work. It's inexcusable that it's been ruined. Banksy has a lot of fans in Shoreditch, and across the country, who I'm sure will feel as strongly as I do about the picture. You wouldn't paint over a Van Gogh and nor should you paint over a Banksy."

BANKSY IN PALESTINE:

Staying anonymous is 'crippling', says Banksy

By David Usborne

Published: 08 May 2007

Banksy, the graffiti painter famous almost as much for his talent at evading public exposure as for his rebellious art, has hinted in a rare email exchange with an American reporter that the game of hide-and-seek he plays with the press and his legions of fans may be wearing him down.

"Maintaining anonymity can be kind of crippling," he told Lauren Collins of The New Yorker. The correspondence, reported in an article published in the current issue of the magazine, also reveals what appears to be a diminishing sense that his work, critiquing capitalist society, actually means much any more.

"I originally set out to try and save the world," he said, "but now I'm not sure I like it enough." He also answers critics who have accused him of succumbing to the lure of commercialism as the prices for his works - those not attached to urban furniture like walls and fly-overs - continue to soar.

"I have been called a sellout, but I give away thousands of paintings for free, how many more do you want?" he wrote. "I think it was easier when I was the underdog, and I had a lot of practise at it. The money that my work fetches these days makes me a bit uncomfortable, but that's an easy problem to solve - you just stop whingeing and give it all away. I don't think it's possible to make art about world poverty and then trouser all the cash, that's an irony too far, even for me."

He continues, in the same vein: "I love the way capitalism finds a place - even for its enemies. It's definitely boom time in the discontent industry."

Describing the increasing difficulty of remaining anonymous and the limits it puts on his personal life, he revealed: "I gave a painting to my favourite pub to settle a tab once, which they hung above the bar. But so many people came in asking questions about it I haven't been back there for two years."

The endless pursuit of him by reporters has also had an impact on his friends and associates. "Brad Pitt told a journalist 'I think it's really cool no one knows who he is' and within a week there were journalists from the Daily Mail at the door of my dealer's dad's chip shop, asking if he knew where they could find me."

The media attention that he gets, meanwhile, makes staying under the radar ever more difficult. "Getting your work in the newspapers is a really dumb thing to do if what you do requires a certain level of anonymity. I was a bit slow," the painter admits.

There was, for instance, the media eruption last year after he unveiled a show in Los Angeles warehouse featuring a spray-painted elephant (which Pitt attended). "All the attention meant I lost some of the element of surprise. A few days after the show in Los Angeles opened I was painting under a freeway downtown when a homeless guy ran over and said, 'Hey, are you Binsky?' I left the next day."