Banksy’s Stunt and Anti-Establishment

Banksy’s latest art stunt has gone down in history as a unique piece of live art. Moments after the framed Girl With Balloon was sold by Sotheby's in London, the canvas shredded itself into small ribbons. The piece was the final item in an auction at Sotheby’s in Mayfair, London and its sale price equalled the artist’s previous auction record of a staggering £1.04m.

“It appears we just got Banksy-ed,” said Alex Branczik, Sotheby’s senior director and head of contemporary art in Europe. Sotheby's has confirmed the final price of £1,042,000 will be paid in full by the new owner. The European woman who bought the piece, who does not want to be named, said: "At first I was shocked, but I realised I would end up with my own piece of art history."

Banksy has a history with pranking art establishments, having previously pulled stunts in the Louvre, Tate Britain, the British Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Natural History Museum. Last week’s self-destruction was the latest anti-establishment statement by the elusive street artist, who has travelled the world etching progressive messages on to unlikely canvases.

Last year it emerged he had given a financial boost to peace campaigners by donating £205,000 raised from the sale of one of his works to human rights group Reprieve and Campaign Against the Arms Trade. In June last year, Banksy risked falling foul of UK election law by offering voters in Bristol constituencies a free limited-edition print if they sent in photos of their ballot papers in the general election to prove they had voted for anyone other than the Conservatives, until he was made aware that he risked being censured by the Electoral Commission. It would seem Banksy’s favourite pranks are often at the expense of the elitist art world.

When the auctioneer’s hammer came down at Sotheby’s and a “modern masterpiece” began to eat itself, Banksy had not only shredded a piece of art, but ironically, he had made a new one. Of course the art world has won, it always does. The piece which was worth 1.04 million only 2 weeks ago is now estimated to be worth double that, and isn’t that all the art world cares about anyway? Art collectors might claim to want beautifully curated collections, but in reality the main prerogative is money unfortunately, and Banksy will be well aware of this. Art is a rich man’s game, and the real irony in this story is that £1 million shredded is now worth £2 million.

Whatever your personal views may be on Banksy’s work (art is subjective after all), its undeniable that he makes art available to the average Joe. His art is particularly relevant in the social media age – art you can share in a second because it gives up its entire meaning immediately. He makes art that is accessible, obvious, and takes no real time, effort, or education to understand… and it doesn’t get much more anti-establishment than that.