A wall mural 48 x 60 inches by “Banksy,” the pseudonym of a famous English “stealth” (graffiti) artist, was secretly ripped off a wall in London and offered for sale in Miami. It was up for a sale Feb. 24, with an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. After residents of the North London neighborhood where the mural hung complained, the Miami auction house removed the mural from the sale. We will watch to see what happens next. The consignor claims to have title to the mural and the right to sell it. “Urban art” was recognized as an art movement in the 1970s. Artists’ spray-painted “tags” were later painted or printed in sizes that could be hung in a home. Artists like Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat became stars, getting thousands of dollars for their work. By 1990 London had its stars. Banksy is known only by his work; his real identity is a secret.
Photos: Bbcamerica.com | Verge.com
I do conservation of digital and analog item as a volunteer to our local history center. HOW can a mural be removed from a wall? I know of two which went in the demlition because no one knew how or were unwilling to find a way. It still seems to me that there is no way…Was this painted onto a canvas which was then adhered to wall?