Written & Illustrated by: LDR

If you are into street art then you must be familiar with Banksy. If not, well here is a short background of what people know about him.

Banksy is one of the most controversial and reputable British artist when it comes to street art. Part of it is because his identity remains anonymous to the public eye so they would shift their focus on his works. And the other half is because of the witty, iconographical and socio-political stencils used to bomb walls at night.

He goes from different locations and expresses his political and social views depending on the location’s context. If you want to see his works, then I suggest you visit his website for authentic street art.

So what is the latest talk about him? Recently, Banksy made a somewhat live performance art during an evening auction that happened at Sotheby’s. A Girl With Balloon artwork was shredded once it was sold in auction through a built-in shredder that was installed in the frame. Although there were many speculations about what happened, allow me to show my take on this one.

The act of “destroying” his work could represent his view being against establishments and commodifying his works when it is supposed to be viewed and appreciated for free like what he intends and, that street art should remain on the streets where the public could easily see and interact with it like what he intends to.

There is a sense of unapologetic truth that affects not only the public, but also the people it wishes to target. It should not be enclosed in a four-cornered wall where artworks are treated as a holy grail.

However,  in his latest video posted on his website titled “Shed the Love,” the Girl with Balloon artwork should have been totally shredded as shown during the rehearsals in the video. But luck was not on his side that evening and a twist of fate happened when the built-in shredder frame malfunctioned and cut only half of the artwork. Thus, what supposed to be a destroyed and completely useless work emphasizing his bold statement, ended up as a new artwork with increased monetary value.

The half-shredded Girl with Balloon artwork has already been authenticated by his team, Pest Control, and gave the work a new name as Love is in the Bin.