A judge beating up a protestor with a white placard, blood splatter on the bottom of it, is not the type of imagery one would expect to see on the stone walls of the Royal Courts of Justice.
But on Monday morning, graffiti artist Banksy took to social media to show off his latest work. The weapon of choice in the wigged and robed judge’s hands is a gavel, which of course is not used for any purpose by England and Wales judges.
As commenters argue over the piece, it is good to see how quickly the courts can work. Banksy posted about the artwork at around 11am on Monday. Within 20 minutes the piece was covered up with black plastic sheets duct-taped to the wall. For good measure, metal barriers were erected in front, paroled by two security officers.
It is yet to be seen what will happen to the work. In the past, some have been removed or conserved, others stolen or lost by repainting. But the courts may want to consider finding a way to benefit from the work. Banksy’s Girl With Balloon, later renamed Love is in the Bin, sold at auction in 2018 for just over £1m before it self-destructed. It returned to auction in 2021 where it sold for more than £18.5m - a record for the artist.
With the courts needing ever more funding, this Banksy may be able to provide a little helping hand.
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