Will London Police Remove Graffiti Art by Banksy?

Tags: Banksy, Graffiti, London, Public Art

London police have threatened to erase any and all graffiti art in the onset of the 2012 Olympics. This risk did not deter the infamous Banksy, who recently released 2 new pieces of graffiti art on his website in what appears to be an act of defiance.

A javelin-thrower launching a missile (shown) and a pole-vaulter hoisting himself over a barbed wire fence both appeared on his website in the wake of the banning of street artists during the Olympic games.

Their appearance puts police into a tough predicament: adhere to their promises and risk power-washing six-figures worth of art, or swallow their threats and leave the works untouched.

Considering the popularity of Banksy’s 2009 show in Bristol and the disastrous accidental removal of a work in 2007, many are opining that the works should be left in situ and serve the 1 million tourists expected to pass through the city during August.

Will London Really Erase Banksy’s Olympic Art? via The Atlantic Wire

Photo courtesy of Banksy