Shreddies

[french frank]

And doesn't it just play into the tedious ENC narrative of contemporary art being some kind of "scam"? (new clothes and all that)

I think it's the opposite. If you like, it's artistic 'kitch' but out of x modern works 'the public' voted it their favourite. But whether it's £1m for a Banksy or £60m for a Renoir, it's the market value not the artistic value that's queried here.

[MrGongGong]

I think it's the opposite. If you like, it's artistic 'kitch' but out of x modern works 'the public' voted it their favourite. But whether it's £1m for a Banksy or £60m for a Renoir, it's the market value not the artistic value that's queried here.

Maybe
but it's hardly an original or particularly radical thought to make a comment on the art market as separate from the work of artists ?
Banksy comes accross to me as very much part of the whole thing, "he" is a safe house for those who want a bit of "edge".

[Serial_Apologist]

Maybe
but it's hardly an original or particularly radical thought to make a comment on the art market as separate from the work of artists ?
Banksy comes accross to me as very much part of the whole thing, "he" is a safe house for those who want a bit of "edge".

That's as may be. But many who are not part of the whole thing are less effective in getting their message across than Banksy?

[MrGongGong]

That's as may be. But many who are not part of the whole thing are less effective in getting their message across than Banksy?

You mean a bit like a millionaire pop singer singing "imagine no possessions" ?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

We appear to be adopting the idea that there's some kind of message here, rather than admitting it's just an incredibly mean trick.

[MrGongGong]

We appear to be adopting the idea that there's some kind of message here, rather than admitting it's just an incredibly mean trick.

It's not a "mean trick" at all
It was probably the idea all along and the shredding of the image will increase its value in monetary terms so no-one is really being "tricked"

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

[doversoul1]

I thought the value of Banksy’s works was that they were in public places. Good for them (Banksy Lid.) to make fun of those who are prepared to pay for a reproduction of a clever drawing (the canvas version). A brilliant public joke.

I’ll be interested in finding out what the Banksy Ltd. is going to do with the one in Dover. The building is to be demolished very shortly.

[french frank]

We appear to be adopting the idea that there's some kind of message here, rather than admitting it's just an incredibly mean trick.

Yes, I think there's some kind of message 'Incredibly mean'? Who is 'incredibly' harmed by it? One can buy a print if one likes it so much.

[Serial_Apologist]

I reckon the purchaser was in on it and just acting baffled/surprised. I reckon the auctioneer was too. In fact, the purchaser was probably Banksy himself, dressed in a hired businessman's suit. It will turn out to have been the biggest media hoax since Orson Welles announced Earth's invasion by Martians.

[gradus]

I reckon the purchaser was in on it and just acting baffled/surprised. I reckon the auctioneer was too. In fact, the purchaser was probably Banksy himself, dressed in a hired businessman's suit. It will turn out to have been the biggest media hoax since Orson Welles announced Earth's invasion by Martians.

I think so too.

[doversoul1]

I reckon the purchaser was in on it and just acting baffled/surprised. I reckon the auctioneer was too. In fact, the purchaser was probably Banksy himself, dressed in a hired businessman's suit. It will turn out to have been the biggest media hoax since Orson Welles announced Earth's invasion by Martians.

As the media was reporting an event that actually happened, it can’t be called a media hoax, can it? Whatever it can be labelled, I think it was a very good one.

[Lat-Literal]

Difficult here to identify clearly the pros and cons.

Shreddies is, of course, a slang word for pants which can also be a slang word in itself.

[LHC]

I reckon the purchaser was in on it and just acting baffled/surprised. I reckon the auctioneer was too. In fact, the purchaser was probably Banksy himself, dressed in a hired businessman's suit. It will turn out to have been the biggest media hoax since Orson Welles announced Earth's invasion by Martians.

I too suspect it was a publicity stunt and that the auction house and purchaser were in on it. The prank was apparently set up years ago when the 'shredder' was placed in the frame. However, the scalpel blades in the frame shown in Banksy's video are not aligned correctly to shred the painting, and it is difficult to imagine any batteries that could have stayed active on standby for several years so that they could power the shredder at exactly the right moment.

[french frank]

I reckon the purchaser was in on it and just acting baffled/surprised. I reckon the auctioneer was too. In fact, the purchaser was probably Banksy himself ...

Story says a limited edition canvas copy of the work fetched a record price price of £344,750 (previous highest £169,250) at Bonhams. Who would pay triple that record price a mere seven months later? It's not a unique work. But someone might bid that much if they were sure they wouldn't have to pay it - though the jape might be worth compensating the auctioneers for their trouble to the tune of several tens of thousands if you can afford it

I think dover also made the point that Banksy is 'public art'. You don't get much more public than this.