Banksy Rat [Berry Street]

[Kev]

Banksy rat attraction covered up


Half of the Banksy Mural is covered with hoardings

A mural by graffiti artist Banksy has been partially covered up by council workers in Liverpool, despite been hailed a Capital of Culture attraction.

Last month Liverpool City Council said the famous giant rat sprayed on a Berry Street building, would be "preserved for 2008", but now half is obscured.

Hoardings have covered the lower half of the painting, which the artist created for Liverpool Biennial in 2004.

The council also promoted it as part of a campaign to cover city "grot spots".

The former White House pub, which is now derelict, has been identified by council bosses as one of a number of buildings to be covered by artwork to detract from the eyesores for the Capital of Culture year.

The huge rat itself has also been painted around.

Liverpool Culture Company are yet to comment.

BBC Liverpool


How it looked a while ago

[Kev S]

Banksy rat attraction covered up


Half of the Banksy Mural is covered with hoardings

A mural by graffiti artist Banksy has been partially covered up by council workers in Liverpool, despite been hailed a Capital of Culture attraction.

Last month Liverpool City Council said the famous giant rat sprayed on a Berry Street building, would be "preserved for 2008", but now half is obscured.

Hoardings have covered the lower half of the painting, which the artist created for Liverpool Biennial in 2004.

The council also promoted it as part of a campaign to cover city "grot spots".

The former White House pub, which is now derelict, has been identified by council bosses as one of a number of buildings to be covered by artwork to detract from the eyesores for the Capital of Culture year.

The huge rat itself has also been painted around.

Liverpool Culture Company are yet to comment.

BBC Liverpool


How it looked a while ago

As nice as it is, the rat that is, it hardly covers up the grotty building does it?

This should have been sort a long time ago if you ask me but nothin surprises me with our Council. Sorry if you work for the Council by the way.

[Cadfael]

I think I'll start a new website and see how many buildings have been covered up - it's going to get to the point soon where there are more buildings boarded up than not!

[wallasey]

It does somewhat draw attention!

Going on from what Cadfael said; we might even get a tour out of it! !

Seriously, I think who-ever could have had another procedure that could be enforced along side the artwork idea. It is a good way of making several "grot-spots" look attractive, but there can be too much of a good thing!

[shoney]

looks like a load of rubbish to me, the place needs knocking down, theres probably plenty more rats on the inside by the look of the place, berry st is at the top of bold street i think, surely being so close to the city centre the land this eyesore sits on would be more valuable than the grotty eyesore that sits on it to a developer , liverpool needs to embrace the 21st century and let go of some of these old buildings (not all of them just the ones that have no use, are un-economical, dangerous and ugly ).

[Howie]

Rat mural pub is 'beyond repair'

Liverpool Culture Company says it had "no choice" but to partially cover a piece of artwork because the building it is on is in "serious disrepair".


Half of the Banksy Mural is
covered with hoardings

The graffitied rat by renowned artist Banksy formed part of the 2004 Liverpool Biennial and is hailed as an attraction for Capital of Culture.

Visitors to the city complained that it covered up an interesting and exciting piece of art.

The Culture Company said the lower part was covered to improve its appearance.

"We are committed to improving the appearance of high profile grot spots in the city.," said the company.

"The former White House pub is in a state of serious disrepair. We have painted round the upper part of the mural to preserve it.

'Artists consulted'

"Unfortunately, the lower part of the artwork was in such a poor state that it was beyond repair and we felt we had no choice but to erect the hoardings.

"We consulted with figures in the city's artistic community before taking this action and believe we have found the best possible solution in terms of preserving what we could of the artwork."

The former White House pub, which is now derelict, has been identified by council bosses as one of a number of buildings to be covered by artwork to detract from the eyesores for the Capital of Culture year.

Source: BBC NEWS | Merseyside

[John(Zappa)]

Graffitti.Nothing but graffitti.
Am not impressed.Don't like the stuff and never will.Good artist but why the hell does he think we all wanna see it?

[Kev S]

Rat mural pub is 'beyond repair'

Liverpool Culture Company says it had "no choice" but to partially cover a piece of artwork because the building it is on is in "serious disrepair".


Half of the Banksy Mural is
covered with hoardings

The graffitied rat by renowned artist Banksy formed part of the 2004 Liverpool Biennial and is hailed as an attraction for Capital of Culture.

Visitors to the city complained that it covered up an interesting and exciting piece of art.

The Culture Company said the lower part was covered to improve its appearance.

"We are committed to improving the appearance of high profile grot spots in the city.," said the company.

"The former White House pub is in a state of serious disrepair. We have painted round the upper part of the mural to preserve it.

'Artists consulted'

"Unfortunately, the lower part of the artwork was in such a poor state that it was beyond repair and we felt we had no choice but to erect the hoardings.

"We consulted with figures in the city's artistic community before taking this action and believe we have found the best possible solution in terms of preserving what we could of the artwork."

The former White House pub, which is now derelict, has been identified by council bosses as one of a number of buildings to be covered by artwork to detract from the eyesores for the Capital of Culture year.

Source: BBC NEWS | Merseyside

If only they could take the rat down in one peice. Don't they know how much Banksy's art can be sold for? They would have the money to build another Liverpool One!

[lindylou]

heard a woman on the radio today saying that she thought it was a cat and not a rat !


I'm so glad someone has said that ! I was begining to think I was stupid - 'cos I can't see no rat !! I can see a large balck & white cat and a rat's tail.

Why do they always refer to it as Banksy's rat when it is clearly a cat ???

[ChrisGeorge]

heard a woman on the radio today saying that she thought it was a cat and not a rat !


I'm so glad someone has said that ! I was begining to think I was stupid - 'cos I can't see no rat !! I can see a large balck & white cat and a rat's tail.

Why do they always refer to it as Banksy's rat when it is clearly a cat ???

I thought it was a cat -- although now I look closer the tail does look like a rat's.

Chris

[jimmy]

I too Thought it was a Cat.

[shoney]

not much of an artist is he if it looks more like a cat than a rat, as for street art why doesn't he do it in his street on his own building instead of on junk buildings, he obviously didn't expect it to stay on there forever as part of the cat overlaps onto the boards that have been nailed up over the windows

[naked lilac]

Well, I too, always thought it a black and white Cat.. I really enjoy looking at it myself.. If I had the money, I would of loved to rebuild that structure into another thriving pub..(leaving that artwork).. naming it after that CAT RAT...?

[ChrisGeorge]

not much of an artist is he if it looks more like a cat than a rat, as for street art why doesn't he do it in his street on his own building instead of on junk buildings, he obviously didn't expect it to stay on there forever as part of the cat overlaps onto the boards that have been nailed up over the windows

Hi shoney

I appreciate your point of view, although I think part of the point of Banksy is that his work is snap art, meant to be temporary, and often prank art, as it were. As such I find what he does interesting and maybe has more merit than the work of other modern "artists" who create blank canvases and the like and call it art.

Chris

[shoney]

Hi shoney

I appreciate your point of view, although I think part of the point of Banksy is that his work is snap art, meant to be temporary, and often prank art, as it were. As such I find what he does interesting and maybe has more merit than the work of other modern "artists" who create blank canvases and the like and call it art.

Chris

thats cool, so if it's meant to be temporary, why is everyone so upset if something about it gets changed/altered, not worth getting uptight about in the first place I reckon