Any advert in a public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It’s yours to take, re-arrange and re-use. You can do whatever you like with it. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head.
My conclusion from this is that we cannot limit this presumption of rights to advertising - it must apply to any message in a public space that "gives you no choice whether you see it or not". I don't ask to see Banksy's twee, ever-so-witty, pseudo-political cleverness yet by choosing graffiti as a medium he imposes it on me without me choosing to see it.
So on his logic, I shall be pasting advertising slogans onto his witty daubs at the next opportunity!
And while we're about it, remember that Banksy is a mere workman besides the genius that was "The Master of Paddington":
"Near at hand is far away in images of elsewhere"
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Interesting. Bradford used to have a great sign on the old railway wall at the top of Great Horton Road: 'Away Rumpelstiltskin Thy Name is World War 3'. It was there for years from about 1965.
ReplyDeleteI think it was all in badly painted capitals but capitals look unduly shouty in a blog comment.
There was also a nice large graffiti for some months on the doors of what is now the Museum of Photography etc. Because when it was first built in the 1960s (as a theatre because they'd knocked an old theatre down to build the ice rink block and it was some sort of planning deal)it was empty for some years, a little like the Bradford hole is now.
It simply said 'Opening soon'.
I should know, because I was the one who painted it.
One more memory. Before the old Mechanics Institute was demolished, it was overnight wrapped in a banner that said something like: 'Avocado bathroom suite? No thanks, I've already had one from Mr. Poulson'.
This of course was a reference to the planning deals done between Mr. Poulson, T.Dan Smith, and the then Chief Exec(?) of Bradford Council, a certain Mr. Eric Newby.
Politicians were bought very cheaply in those days.