G BREAKIN ! BANKSY THE
IT was one auction lot that was definitely going, going, gone.
An artwork by graffiti artist Banksy self-destructed seconds after it was sold for $1.9 million at a London auction house.
After the 2006 painting Girl With Balloon was sold to a phone bidder, an alarm was triggered and the work glided through a shredder concealed in the artwork’s frame.
Stunned auction-goers at Sotheby’s could only watch as the stencilled spray painting was destroyed after fetching a record price for a Banksy.
Soon after, the artist — famous for his graffiti artworks in public places — posted a photo of the shocked crowd at Sotheby’s on Instagram with the words, “Going, going, gone . . . ”
The painting, which shows a girl reaching towards a red balloon, is one of the most celebrated images in British art, and was the last item to be sold at the sale.
Anny Shaw, a correspondent for The Art Newspaper, said she suspected the stunt may have been an “inside job” but said Sotheby’s staff reacted with genuine shock.
Shaw said: “An alarm was activated just before the moment of self-destruction happened and that led to the speculation that there was someone in the room, possibly even Banksy.
“I subsequently heard there had been reports of a skirmish between security staff and a man dressed in black and sunglasses exiting the building. You couldn’t make this up.”
She said the frame had appeared to be unusually thick, which should have aroused suspicion.
Banksy posted a video yesterday providing further clues. Before the video was swiftly taken down, the artist said: “A few years ago, I secretly built a shredder into a painting in case it was ever put up for auction.”
He also quoted Picasso, saying: “The urge to destroy is also a creative urge.”
Sotheby’s refused to identify the telephone bidder. It was not clear if the sale was still valid.