I liked Banksy when his performances were actually funny and transgressive. Like the fake cave painting (featuring a stick figure pushing a shopping cart) that he slipped into an exhibit at the British Museum. That was funny. This Sotheby's stunt just reeks of desperation, not just on the part of the "art" collectors who bid on the thing to signal their avantgardism but on the part of the "artist" who is clearly now more "apres" than "avant," kind of like his contemporary Sacha Baron Cohen who is still operating like it's the pre-Obama era. This is just sad on all counts.
I read about the alleged increase in value and that may be true, or may not be true. What's the basis for this claim? Who is making the claim? And on whose behalf? Banksy has a bit of a problem with misrepresentation if the buyer did not know his purchase was going to be shredded before he bought it.
Art is currently a vehicle for money laundering. Have a billion you can't spend? Buy art, then sell it, your money is now fresh and clean like it went to One Hour Martinizing.
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I liked Banksy when his performances were actually funny and transgressive. Like the fake cave painting (featuring a stick figure pushing a shopping cart) that he slipped into an exhibit at the British Museum. That was funny. This Sotheby's stunt just reeks of desperation, not just on the part of the "art" collectors who bid on the thing to signal their avantgardism but on the part of the "artist" who is clearly now more "apres" than "avant," kind of like his contemporary Sacha Baron Cohen who is still operating like it's the pre-Obama era. This is just sad on all counts.
It was only half shredded. In reality, that should make it more valuable.
Whoever bought this should run the $1.4 million he paid for it through a shredder and send it to Banksy.
I read about the alleged increase in value and that may be true, or may not be true. What's the basis for this claim? Who is making the claim? And on whose behalf? Banksy has a bit of a problem with misrepresentation if the buyer did not know his purchase was going to be shredded before he bought it.
I still think this is a tired cry for attention.
Like, "over here ... I'm still relevaaaaaant."
Art is currently a vehicle for money laundering. Have a billion you can't spend? Buy art, then sell it, your money is now fresh and clean like it went to One Hour Martinizing.
I can think of lots of "art" that should be treated in similar fashion.
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