Banksy Encourages Fans to Shoplift From Guess Since Company 'Helped Themselves to My Artwork Without Asking’
Banksy Encourages Fans to Shoplift From Guess Since Company 'Helped Themselves to My Artwork Without Asking’
https://www.complex.com/style/a/cmplxtara-mahadevan/banksy-encourages-fans-shoplift-guess-artwork
Banksy told his followers to shoplift from the Regent Street Guess store in London after it displayed a collection that used his artwork without permission.
cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/1977881
Excerpt:
Banksy isn’t happy with Guess’ latest collaboration.
The legendary anonymous graffiti artist had a directive for his followers on Friday, encouraging them—possibly tongue in cheek, possibly not—to visit the Regent Street Guess store in London and steal the brand’s new collection that features his artwork.
“Attention all shoplifters. Please go to Guess on Regents Street. They’ve helped themselves to my artwork without asking, how can it be wrong for you to do the same to their clothes?”
I'm from the UK and I have no idea who Guess even are, so they can't be that big of a deal. I won't support them anyway... if I ever see them haha.
A quick search and it looks like the Mike Ashley owned House of Fraser sells them. So double win.
Mike Ashley owns House of Fraser (it's a department store in the UK)
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/national/22314678.mike-ashley-controversial-retail-magnate/
nahhhh. we know who he is, and he collaborates with local authorities to put up his art. and retains all rights to it of course.
so he is actually very justified in feeling this way because he unironically greatly benefits from the commercial side of things.
of course, he still wants us to think this is some counterculture shit.
I don't know that this is strictly true, he has had works painted over before and notably had a rivalry with that Manchester King fella and they re did each others works regularly.
Yeah and the rappers that make diss tracks about each other totally hate each other too, it's not for publicity at all, they'd really kill each other if only they had a chance. Too bad they're too busy making millions.
That's not what I'm saying, I think you're being intentionally negative and obtuse. Yes there is a commercial aspect, no it not a given that everything he does is with the approval of local governments.
He didn't stand to gain anything by feuding with the other street artist.
Also there are lots of hiphop feuds that do famously bleed into real life and too many have died. Are there people who use this narrative to further their careers, yes but it doesn't make everything fake.
He stands to gain attention and notoriety, which is why he does everything he does. As does the other street artist. If you don't think it was a publicity stunt fine, I certainly can't prove it was, but that's what I believe.
yes individuals and multinational corporations should have different rules. Large corporations whose decisions can impact entire communities should be held to much more rigorous standards than individuals.
Did he paint the design on one of their buildings? Because if he did, and they took that design and put it on t-shirts, that would be a pretty bad-ass move imo
Pretty sure copying and selling it is still IP theft. If they removed the wall section and sold it that's legal, people have done that to get his work many times.
Except when that store is a big multinational that pays their employees the bare minimum for stuff that costs pennies to make but is sold for half their monthly income.
That’s even worse because that store employs so many people, when you steal from that store it’s hurting all of those employees
His celebrity status depends on hyperbolic rhetoric like this. If he had handled it the way normal people do, through courts, he'd be damaging his mystique. The sheep that think he's the bee's knees slurp this bullshit up.
Corporations don’t deserve that right. His stance on this is directly related to corporate abuse of the system. Nuance is difficult though so I understand why it’s easy for you to feel like you made a good point.
I can't say legally since I'm not a lawyer but I don't think much of people who suggest you do (crime) because (crime) occurred. I consider it a low-end mentality to view that as a resolution or justice of some kind.
Not as funny as a person adept at using stencils to paint on other people's property getting upset someone used his stenciling on their property, IMHO.
Or maybe the ultimate troll artist, is fucking trolling. Perhaps making a joke about stealing their stuff because they stole his.
The motherfucker is a stooge of the system man! Probably got more lawyers than John Gotti lol.
If he had handled it the way normal people do, through courts
There is more to it than that. He's been blocked from claiming the copyright on his own work since he'd need to dox himself. He can't claim the copyright as 'Banksy' since it's not his real name.
What a fucking idiot. He / she could have sued them if he felt aggrieved instead of encouraging people to commit crimes.
Last time he had to take it all the way to the appeal court to get them to agree he had the rights to his own images.
I can understand not wanting to do that again.
And he still lost trademarks on at least 4 of his major pieces because he wanted to stay anonymous
It's a he, it's well known who he is at this point. This counterculture edgy image is his entire marketing scheme. His popularity and image is all a carefully crafted gorilla marketing campaign. I wouldn't be surprised if he's getting a cut on the clothes and this is part of the marketing.
Yeah, I really don't get people simping for him, he's probably a millionare at this point. You don't get media coverage unless you pay for it, and his mediocre stencil shit is certainly not being boosted organically.