For his final piece of street art in NYC, Banksy attached a huge balloon that said “Banksy!” to the side of an abandoned building on OCtober 31, 2013.
Three men tried to remove the balloon from the building that same day and were arrested. Police have confiscated the balloon piece, which an art dealer told the New York Times is worth between $200,000 and $300,000.
Police deflated the balloon which is currently being stored on the third floor of the Police Department’s building on Pearson Place in Long Island City, a police spokeswoman told the New York Times.
“I don’t have it as art on the invoice,” Deputy Chief Jack J. Trabitz told the New York Times. “We have it as a balloon.”
As you probably know by now, the painting he “vandalized,” “The banality of the banality of evil,” sold at auction yesterday for $615,000 to someone using the tab “gorpetri,” for bidding.
The bidding continues for the thrift store painting that Banksy “vandalized.” As of 4:55 PST, five minutes before the end of the auction, the bidding had reached $350,600.
Banksy added the Nazi to this landscape, along with his autograph in the lower left corner.
Banksy’s latest artwork (as of Wednesday, October 30, 2013 at 12:27 p.m. PST), a thrift store painting that Banksy added a Nazi soldier to and titled “The banality of the banality of evil,” is being auctioned at the online charity website, BiddingForGood.
Bidding began Tuesday with a minimum bid of $74,000 required. As of midday Wednesday 74 bids had come in, the most recent being $220,200. The auction will close on Oct. 31 at 8 pm EDT.
The painting is signed by the original artist, and by Banksy. It’s 36” x 24.5” and the frame is 43” x 31.5.”
The money raised will go to Housing Works. Below is the BiddingForGood website description of Housing Works:
Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts.
What an incredible way for Banksy to end his month-long “Better Out Than In” street art show? Right when attention on Banksy is at an all time high, he puts a painting up for auction for a good cause. On so many levels this is terrific.
