Banksy Boy-With-Gun Art in Westwood Vandalized; Singer Pia Mia Has the Photos

Wow some pretty ignorant people made comments here then. "it's actually even twice as legitimate" - 'Damien Hirst' comment below - what a twat! Banksy was a nobody kid from Bristol, UK who elevated graffiti to social commentary that authority had to listen too, everywhere. He gave everyone a way to be heard that had to be listened too by everyone else, how cool is that. We have been doing graffiti since time began and Banksy simply brought it up to date. Yeah sure its against the law but so is picking your nose whilst driving!Freedom of expression is too live your life like you want too and let everyone else do the same.Every time a quality work of graffiti is destroyed a little more authority creeps in 'keep the f---ckers at bay I say and cherish our inate instincts not to be kept down... by anyone!One of Banksy's originals - the Gorilla with the Pink face mask was painted over today in the street in which I live. I pass it most days and it always made me smile... that's freedom of expression which helps other people make their way through life... even when its shitty.More info here http://sociorobotics.wordpress...

I'm just sad because I just heard about it yesterday and was planning to walk down to go see it today after school and now it's gone ):

ITS MISTER BRAINWASH

MBW - Mr. Brain Washlooks like a good ole street fight

I saw it today it and it looks like someone cleaned it up. The parking sign is gone. People were taking pictures of it and were also having their pictures taken with it.

All street art is bound to get destroyed eventually...

Dose anyone notice that initials of Mr Brain Wash are written on the wall. The guy the Banksy trashed in his documentary exit threw the gift shop.

Yeah, mark up all that bansky bullshit! Art is temporary! Deal with it!

isn't that Mr. Brainwash's Symbol marked in Red. MBW. It's the only difference I see besides the paint splatter. Maybe he's upset for his portrayal in Exit Through the gift shop.

Here's my take on the whole Banksy/LA saga here:

http://leftcoastletters.com/20...

I'm not sure what you call messing with someone's existing vandalism of a public space.

as some already pointed out it's really ironic to talk about vandalizing something that on its own exists as the act of vandalism and even holds its relevance exactly as such. banksy's reputation and fame exists exactly based on the disrespect of the rules, a protest against establishment. but ironically he now turned into something that holds a position of public value in the same way as "clean walls" used to hold before bansky vandalized them. banksy in fact became the establishment he once attacked and attacking banksy, vandalizing it is as meaningful and as legitimate as it used to be to "attack", vandalize clean walls in the past. it's actually even twice as legitimate.

I love the irony, vandalism vandalised. Although there used to be arguments in the past over whether it was wrong for Banksy to tag peoples walls the way he does I think it's safe to say that these days only an idiot would be annoyed at the massive increase in price it could achieve for the building in question. Now the person who threw paint on Banksy's art... He's a jealous idiot!www.suziemay.com

Too bad the little shits in Ktown tagging all the apartments and bodegas are bereft of the intellectual commentary Banksy inserts into his graffiti. It's getting tiresome.

Even though I like Banksy work, its still vandalism on vanalism. To write an article about it is just ironic!

Sorry moron, but that is ART.

I think the fact that they're being ripped away so quickly is great. I'm a fan of Banksy's artwork (more so after seeing "Exit"), but the idea of these public pieces being worth all this money and being sold at auction and put into private collections doesn't really sit right. I'll bet Banksy may even be responsible for taking them down, before someone else can wrench great profit from his work.

this is all part of street art culture. just as banksy painted over really pointless, non-artistic graffiti. i wouldn't even be surprised if it turned out that he did it himself.

This isn't vandalism. It's renewal. The true beauty in street art is that is constantly changes. The fact that people sell and buy it destroys what it stands for. If you want to keep it take a picture then use that six figure check you were gonna blow and donate to a charity.

Seriously? Did none of you actually watch Exit Through the Gift Shop?

Funny, you don't mention the irony that the artwork in question is technically graffiti in the first place. Can one even vandalize something that is vandalism in the first place? Or, is the one piece of vandalism more valuable than the other?

Banksy's work has been added to in various forms on countless occasions. This is neither the first, nor last time it will happen. Of course I'd prefer an addition that is complementary to the aesthetic, but this sure beats the white-wash most graffiti is "cleaned" with.

Wow, what a bunch of idiots, leave the artwork alone.

www.total-privacy.tk

I believe I saw pictures of a maintenance man trying to clean the image off. I don't think it was technically vandalized.

Dennis Romero, see "re-contextualize", and "Graffiti" and get back to me with a revised article.

HAHAHAHAHA I love it.