Kix

So lets say you own a shop, and you rent or lease it out to Poundland.

Some bloke comes and sprays some "street art" on your wall, you didn't ask him too, and if he'd been caught in the act of doing it, he could have been charged with criminal damage by the cops.

It just so happens that folks with too much money will pay enormous sums of money for images by this "artist", who you never met, asked, or invited to "damage" your wall. Also, at no point ever has this "artist" said it was actually him that damaged the wall, and there is no distinguishing mark left on the wall by the person who damaged it.

You decide to cut out the bit of wall and sell it to the stupid 'tards who will part with a sum equal to the national debt of an African nation to own your bit of wall - damaged as it is.

But now the press and stupid daily fail reading 'tards that call themselves "the population" are up in arms that you want to sell YOUR bit of wall (worth lets be honest little more than maybe £1000 by the time you removed and replaced with a new bit of wall within your greater undamaged wall).

So, who actually owns the "art", is it the person whose wall it was sprayed onto (I'm kinda thinking yes), or is it the person who actually did the art (ie Banksy -whoever he may be)?

That is the question, and does the said owner of the wall have the right to sell it?

If it was mine I bloody well would have!

Theseus

I believe the act of spraying it on a wall implies that Banksy himself does not believe he has ownership. Yes if it's your wall you have a right to sell it, Unless, I am assuming, it is categorised as a site of national importance.

If art is created to be viewed then it should still be viewed. It's a shame if someone wants to buy it and keep it to themselves, but such is the right of ownership according to law.

What I take exception to in the OP is the speech marks around Artist. Art is defined as "The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination". The use of speech marks denotes a certain amount of scepticism about whether or not Banksy is an Artist. Who are you to judge what is art and what is not. You can make a judgement on whether you like it or not.

kittycat1

I used to work in Ladbroke Grove and walked past a Banksy- two coppers kissing piece every day. Always made me smile, then the bastard council removed it :-(

Personally I believe as a street artist you have no claim over your work, if you are putting it out into the open domain how can you especially when you aren't signing it? If you want to charge for it, stick it on a canvas. Isn't street art/graffiti about freedom of speech and expressing repressed views not about making money?

hnd

There was/is a TV programme called Four Rooms where people were/are invited to bring in items they wanted to sell. One was a Banksy piece of graffiti and the 'owners' were very greedy. None of the buyers was interested at the price they wanted and they left empty handed.

As others have said it's graffiti and belongs to the owner of the wall on which it has been sprayed. And also as others have said if you want to claim ownership then put it on a canvas and put it in a gallery and sell it.