A Banksy graffiti was mistakenly painted over by the new owner of a social club in Bristol who had no idea it was valuable.
Banksy’s Gorilla in a Pink Mask had been a mainstay on the walls of the North Bristol Social Club in Eastville for a decade.
But when the social club made way for a Muslim cultural centre, the new owner thought the artwork was just another piece of graffiti and whitewashed it off.
The incident is sure to reopen the debate about whether graffiti is art or just mindless vandalism.
If asked “who is Banksy”, most people under the age of 40 in the Bristol area would know of the cultural icon, even though his exact identity remains shrouded in secrecy.
Although Banksy prints and merchandise such as books and t-shirts sell like hot cakes in the UK, the renegade artist has had to keep a low profile as graffiti is still a criminal offence in England.
Yet he has become a folk hero in Bristol and across the country for his quirky and ironic prints which depict the strangeness of current society.
When the Bristol Tesco riots took place earlier this year, Banksy was quick to release a limited edition print of a Molotov cocktail with a Tesco label on it.
Rather than take sides, Banksy likes to portray the absurdity of the situation which saw hundreds of riot police descend on protestors in the Stokes Croft area and create a number of injuries.
He is also a master of marketing and has managed to spread his brand across the globe with truly subversive guerilla marketing.
However Banksy would be the first one to accept that art is temporary and he has had a number of his works damaged or painted over in the past.
The new owner of the Muslim Cultural Centre Saeed Ahmed told the BCC News that he regretted his actions: “I didn’t know it was valuable and that’s why I painted over it. I really am sorry if people are upset.”
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