Slave Labour mural by Banksy © DeptfordJon
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The fate of a work of street art has created a transatlantic controversy that has people debating many legal and ethical issues surrounding street art.
Slave Labour is a work by Banksy, arguably the most famous street artist today, that appeared on the side of a dollar store last year. The image of a small boy operating a sewing machine is presumed to be a commentary on sweatshops and a jab at the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.
The mural disappeared swiftly in the dead of night and subsequently turned up for sale at an auction house in Miami. Fine Art Auctions Miami is adamant that the provenance of the work, which was expected to fetch a cool $700,000 is completely legitimate and that the consignor of the work had the legal right to sell it. The circumstances are all the murkier for the fact that the owner of the building refuses to comment on whether the mural was removed legitimately or was in fact stolen as members of the public have alleged.
The community of Wood Green, from whence the mural was removed, is up in arms. Many people in the community related to the sentiment of the piece and its absence has caused an uproar. The mural also brought visitors to the area, who would come specifically to see the work of art.
The situation has created a great deal of discussion on a wide range of issues, such as whether street art should ever be sold, does street art have value outside of its original context, and whom does a work of street art actually belong to. Eventually the controversy became such a furore, with politicians and even the FBI rumoured to be involved, that the Banksy mural was removed from the auction at the last minute.
If the Banksy was removed with the aim of improving the building’s aesthetics, then the move has backfired. The wall has already been the target of several new works of graffiti, many in protest of the removal of Slave Labour. One, a small rat holding a placard reading “Why?” has been covered with plexiglas in the hope that it is another Banksy.
Former site of Banksy mural sports new graffiti © Bel Fegore
Read more about this in The Guardian