Two street artists from Glasgow have taken responsibility for creating a “fake Banksy”, which appeared in Glasgow city centre last week, saying it was an experiment.
The mural, depicting a drumming rodent wearing a Union Jack hat, appeared days after Banksy’s “Cut and Run” exhibition at Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art, stirring rumours the anonymous street artist himself created it.
Once the piece went viral, Conzo Throb and Ciaran Glöbel shared in a series of Instagram posts that they had studied the artist’s work carefully in order to emulate his style.
Throb told BBC Scotland’s Lunchtime Live, “We really did our homework and studied what he does now.” He adds, “We were trying to really convince people on it whilst adding our own spin to it. So, getting into the mind of Banksy as well as into the hands of Banksy, it was quite fun but also quite challenging because he makes it looks effortless.”
As the pair expected, public opinion quickly shifted once the truth got out that the piece wasn’t a genuine Banksy.
“It’s there for all to see that as soon as it was decided it wasn’t a Banksy, it lost all value, whether monetary or artistically. It then ceased to have any value, and it was then at that point just an eyesore to the council,” Throb said.
The work has since been painted over with blue paint, and the Glasgow City Council has said it should be removed.
“It was only a matter of time before it was removed”, said Throb and Glöbel. “It highlighted the hypocrisy within street art and graffiti, where some artworks are praised and others are removed completely, often without any consideration to their artistic value.
“Glasgow spends the most on graffiti removal compared to any other city in the UK, and while some of that cost may be warranted, it highlights the need for policy change around the issue.”
A spokesperson for the City Council told PA News Agency that “anyone who wants to be certain of viewing a true Banksy should head to the exhibition at GoMA [Gallery of Modern Art].”
More Banksy news: “Banky's "Most Talked About Piece of Art In the World" Finally Unveiled”
Main Image: Photo, Courtesy of Alamy