Feest Isolation Days – 27 October
Bristol Boy does well! Banksy has to be one of the most well known names to ever come out of Bristol. It’s amazing that the press leave him to be an anonymous character. They surely could have outed him dozens of times but never have. He is often in the press and he is once more.
His painting “Reflections on Monet” has just soared into the record books. The second highest ever amount of money for a Banksy was received by Southebys last week. The reclusive artist refashioned Monet’s Giverney garden into a bit of a dumping ground, by adding an abandoned shopping trolley and traffic cone. The work sold for £7.5 million.
Last month, Banksy was defending his copyright of a painting being used by a greeting cards company. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) panel however, ruled against him because he could not be identified as the unquestionable owner of such works because his identity remained hidden. They said, “Banksy has chosen to remain anonymous and, for the most part, to paint graffiti on other people’s property without their permission, rather than to paint it on canvases or his own property.”
That’s the point of Banksy EUIPO. I guess they felt they somehow got their own back. Let’s see what the crafty guy gets up to next. He certainly has a fortune to play with!
He might be as well known worldwide as one of Bristol’s other most famous sons, Archie. Mr Leach grew up in poverty in Bristol and eventually became one of cinemas best loved stars. A frequent visitor to Bristol, he often returned to see his mother. When he was at school, a teacher’s assistant took him to the Bristol Hippodrome and he was clearly hooked. He wrote later “What other life could there be but that of an actor? They happily travelled and toured. They were classless, cheerful and carefree.”
Unless of course you’re an artist named Banksy. Then you can also add anonymity to the mix. Can you imagine Banksy having a statue in the city in recognition of his work? I suspect it would have to include a traffic cone….
…and maybe a red heart. There is always hope….
Stay safe….
With love,
Kathy x