Bravo, Bristol City Council. Way to play smart by removing one of your self-appointed sons’ earliest works and in the process, getting the gas face from just about everyone. Yes, in their divine wisdom, the council decided it was high time to get tough on graffiti crime (a phrase probably used in a council meeting, yesterday) by hiring independent contractors to go forth and clean up the blights on our landscape. Fair enough when you’re talking lame tags and half-assed toy throw-ups, but you know what? Maybe, just maybe it might be worth keeping a few of the pieces lying around while the artist in question’s popularity is sky high.

The piece in question is a full 25ft-long affair, dating back nigh on 10 years in local folklore. The simple fact that it has never been altered or painted over in a decade would make you believe that the local residents were hardly bothered about it’s presence, and in the present day, were actually quite proud to have it on their doorstep. Well, they still would be if it weren’t for the black paint now drying over it. The solitary reminder of it’s existence is a less extravagant bit of can-work in it’s place, just three words: “WOT NO BANKSY?” Yes, there are plenty actually.. you might need a few thousand quid in your back pocket to have one lying around though.

There are the usual conflicting views on the value of graffiti to society, banksy haters coming out of the woodwork for feeding time along with those who champion his every move. Admittedly, the council is not appointed to be an art body to critique pieces, even if they sometimes like to think they are. But even they have admitted their error, claiming in a half-assed fashion that the ‘Neighbourhood Renewal Team’ was told “…to remove graffiti next door to the piece by Banksy”. It continues: “…we are aware that it’s actually quite valuable so we have specific instructions not to remove any murals by Banksy”. So, does this mean that material value equals a stay of execution in the battle for wallspace for street art on Bristol’s streets? If it does, it might pay for the council to pay better skilled contractors in future.

Keep an eye out for a special Banksy re-run as seen previously on bosbos.net (pre-makeover) later this week. Don’t worry, it won’t be painted over by the time you get round to seeing it.

Before

After