Art prankster Banksy has struck again.
A work by the elusive street artist apparently self-destructed in front of startled auction-goers on Friday, moments after being sold for 1.04 million pounds ($1.4 million).
The spray-painted canvas 害羞草研究所淕irl With Balloon害羞草研究所� went under the hammer at Sotheby害羞草研究所檚 in London, fetching more than three times its pre-sale estimate and equaling a record price for the artist.
Then, as an alarm sounded, it ran through a shredder embedded in the frame, emerging from the bottom in strips.
A post on Banksy害羞草研究所檚 official Instagram account showed the moment 害羞草研究所� and the shocked reaction of those in the room 害羞草研究所� with the words 害羞草研究所淕oing, going, gone害羞草研究所π卟菅芯克鶟
Sotheby害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所� which had noted before the sale that the work害羞草研究所檚 ornate gilded frame was 害羞草研究所渁n integral element of the artwork chosen by Banksy himself害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� expressed surprise at the incident.
害羞草研究所淚t appears we just got Banksy-ed,害羞草研究所� said Alex Branczik, head of contemporary European art at the auction house.
The auction house said it was 害羞草研究所渋n discussion about next steps害羞草研究所� with the buyer. Some art-market watchers have suggested the work could be worth even more in its shredded state.
害羞草研究所淲e have not experienced this situation in the past . where a painting spontaneously shredded, upon achieving a record for the artist,害羞草研究所� Branczik said. 害羞草研究所淲e are busily figuring out what this means in an auction context.害羞草研究所�
Banksy is not the first artist to deconstruct his own work. In the years after World War II, German-born artist Gustav Metzger pioneered 害羞草研究所渁uto-destructive art,害羞草研究所� creating paintings using acid that ate away the fabric beneath.
Banksy, who has never disclosed his full identity, began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, and has become one of the world害羞草研究所檚 best-known artists. His mischievous and often satirical images include two policemen kissing, armed riot police with yellow smiley faces and a chimpanzee with a sign bearing the words 害羞草研究所淟augh now, but one day I害羞草研究所檒l be in charge.害羞草研究所�
He also has a penchant for elaborate pranks.
In 2005, he hung an image of a spear-toting ancient human pushing a shopping cart in the British Museum, where it remained for several days before being discovered. The next year he smuggled a life-sized figure of a Guantanamo Bay detainee into Disneyland, and in 2015 he erected a full-scale dystopian theme park 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淒ismaland害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� by the British seaside.
害羞草研究所淕irl With Balloon,害羞草研究所� which depicts a small child reaching up toward a heart-shaped red balloon, was originally stenciled on a wall in east London and has been endlessly reproduced, becoming one of Banksy害羞草研究所檚 best-known images.
Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
Like us on and follow us on .
