A
Anonymous
Guest
UNMASKED GRAFFITI ARTIST MUST COLLECT THE 20-FOOT BRONZE STRUCTURE HE PUT UP IN A LONDON SQUARE
From This Is Bristol/Bristol Evening Post
By Chris Allen c.allen BRISTOL-born cult graffiti artist Banksy has agreed to pay for the removal of a satirical 20-foot-high bronze statue which he covertly cemented into a London square.
The monument - a protest at the British legal system - was placed in Clerkenwell Green, in Islington, in the early hours of Wednesday last week.
Islington Council removed it using a crane two days later and the authority is now waiting for Banksy to collect it - and pay their costs.
An official said: "There will be a bill attached to it."
It is understood Banksy, whose identity was recently revealed in the Evening Post, has agreed to foot the bill, although it was unclear how much the removal operation cost.
His spokeswoman said the elusive artist would send someone to pick it up within days.
The statue, called Trust No One, is thought to have cost £22,000 to construct, and, made of solid bronze, it weighs three-and-a-half tonnes.
It showed the figure of justice - whose statue overlooks the Old Bailey in London - as a prostitute with leather boots, a thong and a dollar bill stuffed in her garter.
A message from Banksy, which was attached to the statue, said: "This is a brand new monument for London.
"It is dedicated to thugs, bullies, liars, thieves, the corrupt, the arrogant and the stupid. Essentially it is dedicated to the entire British legal system."
He said it was timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the death of Kevin Callan, a lorry driver who was the victim of a miscarriage of justice when he was convicted in 1991 for the murder of a four-year-old child. His conviction was overturned in 1995.
At the time of the unveiling, Banksy said: "It's the most honest depiction of British justice on display in the capital. I hope it stays there for good."
The 28-year-old, whose real name is understood to be Robert Banks, has achieved cult status as an artist and has been dubbed "the new Andy Warhol" by some collectors.
He once described himself as a "professional vandal" and has been condemned for vandalising public property with his politically-motivated graffiti.
Islington Council workers tried to remove his London statue when it first went up, but realised they needed specialist equipment and abandoned the attempt.
It was finally removed on Friday morning using a truck and a crane.
A council spokeswoman said: "It's being stored at a local facility and we've been in contact with Banksy's agent for them to come and collect it when they see fit."
Source:
Original article- This Is Bristol
From This Is Bristol/Bristol Evening Post
By Chris Allen c.allen BRISTOL-born cult graffiti artist Banksy has agreed to pay for the removal of a satirical 20-foot-high bronze statue which he covertly cemented into a London square.
The monument - a protest at the British legal system - was placed in Clerkenwell Green, in Islington, in the early hours of Wednesday last week.
Islington Council removed it using a crane two days later and the authority is now waiting for Banksy to collect it - and pay their costs.
An official said: "There will be a bill attached to it."
It is understood Banksy, whose identity was recently revealed in the Evening Post, has agreed to foot the bill, although it was unclear how much the removal operation cost.
His spokeswoman said the elusive artist would send someone to pick it up within days.
The statue, called Trust No One, is thought to have cost £22,000 to construct, and, made of solid bronze, it weighs three-and-a-half tonnes.
It showed the figure of justice - whose statue overlooks the Old Bailey in London - as a prostitute with leather boots, a thong and a dollar bill stuffed in her garter.
A message from Banksy, which was attached to the statue, said: "This is a brand new monument for London.
"It is dedicated to thugs, bullies, liars, thieves, the corrupt, the arrogant and the stupid. Essentially it is dedicated to the entire British legal system."
He said it was timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the death of Kevin Callan, a lorry driver who was the victim of a miscarriage of justice when he was convicted in 1991 for the murder of a four-year-old child. His conviction was overturned in 1995.
At the time of the unveiling, Banksy said: "It's the most honest depiction of British justice on display in the capital. I hope it stays there for good."
The 28-year-old, whose real name is understood to be Robert Banks, has achieved cult status as an artist and has been dubbed "the new Andy Warhol" by some collectors.
He once described himself as a "professional vandal" and has been condemned for vandalising public property with his politically-motivated graffiti.
Islington Council workers tried to remove his London statue when it first went up, but realised they needed specialist equipment and abandoned the attempt.
It was finally removed on Friday morning using a truck and a crane.
A council spokeswoman said: "It's being stored at a local facility and we've been in contact with Banksy's agent for them to come and collect it when they see fit."
Source:
Original article- This Is Bristol
