The definition of art in the modern era

On Friday, October 5th, at Slothby’s auction in London, the famous art piece “Girl with Balloon” by Bansky self destructed after being sold for $1.4 million. Once the gavel fell, the picture fed itself through a hidden shredder in its frame, causing the bidders to collectively gasp and sending the Slothby’s staff into a state of panic. The painting was still sold “as is” to the buyer for the final stated price. The device was built into the frame by Bansky himself, and he shows how he made the shredder in an Instagram post that has since then been deleted.

This public display is not only humorous and slightly outrageous, but is also trying to share a message about art today and how we as a society value art. Since he primarily creates street art and graffiti, it is clear that Bansky doesn’t care about the money that he could be making by selling his art. Also, his constant anonymous and mysterious persona show that he doesn’t care about the fame either. Bansky wanted to make a statement about the current art climate. He wants to share a message, which has always been his primary goal and is mirrored in his art.

Today, art is primarily viewed as a valuable commodity, often devoid of any meaning other than who made it. Paintings are bought if they have been created by renowned artists, and painting that are filled with raw emotion and meaning are often forgotten if the artist isn't in the spotlight. Bansky wants to fight against this view of “valuable” art and shift the paradigm towards art being valued by how it impacts people and makes them think about life. Also, Bansky is showing that art cannot be bought or owned. He normally paints graffiti art on public walls, which doesn’t allow him to gain a profit, yet allows anyone to access his art and appreciate it. By shredding his own art, he is trying to defy the ideas of privatized art and art for profit. As an artist, he cares more for his art and how it affects people than for all of the money and fame that commonly comes with it. In his Instagram post about the unexpected shredding, Bansky said “The urge to destroy is also a creative urge”, a quote commonly attributed to Pablo Picasso. This amount of destructive creativity that Bansky shows in this exhibit is not only a piece of visual painting, but pushes the boundaries of the event into an art experience.

Although many people speculate that the painting, now being called “Love is in the Bin”, will greatly increase in value because of the new found fame, this was certainly not Bansky’s intention. He was promoting an idea and a different perspective of what art is, not just trying to get more money or popularity for himself. No matter what the public opinion towards this strange art auction is, it will surely go down in history as one of the greatest pieces of art in the modern era.