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Rail workers paint over Banksy art
By Patrick Sawer, Evening Standard 14.02.07
The graffiti showed a monkey preparing to blow up a bunch of bananas
The image has now been painted over by rail workers
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Once a guerrilla artist, Banksy is now almost part of the art establishment, with his graffiti work fetching tens of thousands of pounds at auction.
But that didn't stop railway bureaucrats ordering the removal of one of his pieces near Waterloo station.
Workers from Network Rail painted over a set of doors to an electricity generator on which the secretive artist had sprayed a monkey preparing to blow up a bunch of bananas.
The piece could have been worth thousands of pounds but the job was so thorough the only part of the image still visible is a faint trace of orange wire from the monkey's detonator.
The doors, in the Leake Street underpass beneath the lines into the Waterloo terminal, are now a sickly shade of magnolia and have since been covered in unintelligible graffiti tags.
A Network Rail spokesman admitted the organisation's staff painted over the creation.
"We don't want graffiti on our property and we will remove it," he said. "It's ugly, illegal and the public don't like it."
Many locals beg to differ. Adam Powell, who co-owns the Crockatt & Powell bookshop in Lower Cut, said: "I think it's a great shame that these graffiti paintings are being removed.
"It's corporate vandalism. They are a nice surprise when you come across them around London.
"As it happens, they've painted over the monkey really badly. The new coat of paint doesn't even come down to the bottom of the door."
Mr Powell's shop stocks the book Wall And Piece, a collection of Banksy's most famous work that includes the monkey painting. The image is not the only Banksy lost to the area in recent weeks. To the side of the shop, above a pile of rubbish, the artist had sprayed a sign stating: "Designated picnic area".
It was recently obliterated, despite the bookshop's protests, this time by Lambeth council.
After its initial comment to the Evening Standard, Network Rail contacted the paper again with a revised statement blaming Lambeth for wiping out the monkey as well.
"Lambeth council asked us to clean up Leake Street, which we have done," said the NR spokesman.
He said staff would show more artistic sensitivity in future: "We have now issued our maintenance crews with photographs of Banksy's work, so if they come across it, they'll recognise it for what it is. We will then try and remove it if at all possible and auction it for charity.
"That doesn't alter our position that graffiti is illegal and attracts other crime."
Last week, six pieces by Bristol-born Banksy, 32, fetched £372,000 at auction. A work in sprayed paint on canvas, depicting old women playing lawn bowls with bombs, went for £102,000.
The artist's response to the sale was a painting showing an auctioneer taking bids for a canvas sprayed with the message: "I can't believe you morons actually buy this shit."
Banksy - whose identity has never been established convincingly - declined to comment.
A spokesman for Lambeth council said: "We do support public works of art but when graffiti is put on buildings without permission we will remove it."
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Reader views (3)
Here's a sample of the latest views published. You can click view all to read all views that readers have sent in.
Well, Banksy would lose his kudos if everyone treated his art with due reverence...
- Matt Phillipps, London
So NOT Keith Haring... paint over it.
- Troy, NYC
If I were Network rail, I'd have someone carefully remove that paint and send both sets of doors to Sothebys. Banksy is in a league of his own but the real question though is how long will the art world ignore "London" graffiti artists who actually are talented.
- Robert Mason, London W2
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