The landlord of a property that had a Banksy painted on the side of it could have sold it for as much as £2,000,000 after ripping out the wall that it was sprayed onto, it has been reported.
Whilst that’s undoubtedly good news for the lucky owners of the building, the rest of residents of the seaside town of Lowestoft – where the graffiti appeared – aren’t as impressed with the outcome.
The painting showed a child kneeling next to a sandcastle with a crowbar in her hands and was confirmed to be an original piece by the elusive street artist.
It appeared on the side wall of an electrical shop last August, but was later removed by Gary and Nadine Schwartz, who own the building on London Road North.
They have now reportedly sold the piece off privately.
Nasima Begum, the deputy mayor of the town, is one of those who was dismayed to see what could have been a tourist attraction for benefit of the town removed and sold for personal profit.
Begum said that it was a ‘shame’ that the couple had decided to turn a ‘profit off something that wasn’t for them’.
She added: “I’m sure Banksy didn’t put it on there in the hope that someone would profit from it.
“It’s a real shame. The Banksy art created such a buzz and attracted so many visitors to the area.”
Before the work was taken away on the chunk of wall that it was painted on, visitors to the town had actually been going out of their way to visit the artwork.
It was removed in November and was rumoured to have been taken to the USA for sale at Julien’s Auctions in California.
Around the time that it disappeared, it was argued that ‘this was not what Banksy had in mind for one of his master pieces.’
‘Crowbar Girl’ – as it was named – was one of 10 pieces that were created in Norfolk and Suffolk.
The electrical shop had been on the market for £300,000 before the work appeared but was relisted for £200,000 more than that price once Banksy confirmed that the piece was part of his ‘Great British Staycation’ series.
Despite the rumours of a trans-Atlantic trip, it now seems as if it never left the UK.
John Brandler, the owner of a number of Banksy pieces, reckons that the low asking price in California may have deterred the sellers, and claims that the piece could have sold for as much as £2,000,000 at auction.
In the past, Brandler has claimed that the loss of the piece was a ‘missed opportunity’ for the town.
He told BBC News: “Lowestoft was given a gift by Banksy; a golden opportunity to bring thousands of tourists into the town and help the local economy.”
Featured Image Credit: SWNS
Tom Wood