Banksy Be Gone
Workers for Transport of London, the government body responsible for the city’s transport systems, have painted over a mural by Banksy, the celebrated graffiti artist, BBC News reported yesterday. The work, right, near the Old Street underground station, was taken from the film “Pulp Fiction” but showed the actors Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta clutching bananas rather than guns. It was one of Banksy’s best-known efforts, estimated by some to be worth £300,000 ($601,000). “People used to come from all over to see it and photograph it,” said a barber who works nearby. “Whoever destroyed it is an idiot,” he added. In March most of a Banksy mural in East London was stolen, and an early work was mistakenly painted over in the city of Bristol by graffiti-removal contractors. In February two smaller works in London were also painted over. Transport for London is committed to removing graffiti, a spokesman said, because it creates a “general atmosphere of neglect and social decay which in turn encourages crime.” He added that “our graffiti-removal teams are staffed by professional cleaners, not professional art critics.” In the meantime, someone has painted the words “Come Back” on the wall once beloved for its Banksy.