Banksy Rat [Berry Street]

[ChrisGeorge]

I like that it's brilliant. The council should invite him to decorate a number of buildings empty and occupied.

After all, Hitler was a painter too. He also did quite a bit of urban redesigning (or the Luftwaffe did).

Chris

[Max]

Have they taken that crap purple boarding off the Futurist yet?

[John(Zappa)]

Have they taken that crap purple boarding off the Futurist yet?

Well said Max

[PhilipG]

Have they taken that crap purple boarding off the Futurist yet?

It hasn't been put up, yet.
It's obviously cheaper to do an artist's impression than to actually do the work.

[marky]

The Scandanavian hotel artwork has been installed. It must have been done very recently.

[PhilipG]

The Scandanavian hotel artwork has been installed. It must have been done very recently.

They were doing by the main door at lunchtime today when I passed on the bus, and I took a quick snap.
Will post it later.

[Kev Keegan]

16th Feb 2008:

[julieoapw]

Great shot Kev! Did you charter a helicopter?!!

[Kev Keegan]

, top of the Cathedral

[julieoapw]

That's a good zoom you've got there Kev.

[Kev Keegan]

That's a good zoom you've got there Kev.

I love it cheers, my best compact [ish]camera ever!

[ChrisGeorge]

16th Feb 2008:

Excellent photograph, Kev.

So the scaffolding has been removed, is that right?

[Kev Keegan]

yep

[Howie]

BANKSY RAT SPRUNG FROM CULTURE COMPANY’S TRAP
By Sam Richards - February 25, 2008

Thank god that it now appears that the Liverpool Culture Company have seen some sense and decided not to board up the Banksy Rat that is spray-painted on the abandoned White Horse pub on Berry Street. After a bizarre sequence of events that at one point planned to merely conceal half of the famous graffiti artist’s work, the Company have succumbed to public response and decided to restore it instead. Surely the previously planned action would have achieved nothing; the rat would still have been visible and as a result the building would look even more like what has been termed a ‘grot spot’. However, this is just one example of the bodged-up manner in which Liverpool is being changed to fit in with its Capital of Culture status. You need only look over the road to see another, with glitzy new Chinese-style boards drawing attention to the city’s standing adorning the windows of another long-term derelict building. This superficial change is the kind of transformation that resembles that of a student clearing up their house before their landlord comes for a visit, putting cushions over the stains on the sofa. This should not be the type of regeneration incorporated by a city that hopes to gain a higher-profile. I also hope that the Culture Company have got better things to spend their money on; this funding should be directed at communities that will benefit from it, those that are often left behind the scenes of the media attention going on in the centre. This is much more important than shooting themselves in the foot by attempting to cover up something that increases public interest in art just as much as Antony Gormley’s inspiring Another Place sculptures on Crosby beach. How can this not be seen as culture? It would be interesting to see what the Liverpool Culture Company would have done had the graffiti been on John, Paul, George or Ringo…

Source: LX News

[jimmy]

Banksy artwork to stay uncovered

Half of the Banksy Mural had been covered with hoardings
A mural painted by graffiti artist Banksy in Liverpool's Chinatown is no longer to be covered up.
The famous giant rat was sprayed on the side of a building in Berry Street as part of the city's Biennial in 2004.

Liverpool Culture Company planned to cover up the lower part of the artwork after labelling it a "grot spot."

Council workers started to put up hoardings but culture bosses said the work had now been halted "as a result of recent feedback from the public."

The mural is on the side of the former White House pub, which is now derelict.

It was 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.

We have decided not to proceed with the hoarding

Kris Donaldson, Liverpool Culture Company

Kris Donaldson, Director of the Liverpool Culture Company, said: "The Look of the City campaign is part of our commitment to improve the appearance of high profile grot spots across Liverpool.

"The former White House pub on Berry Street was selected for the programme due to its serious state of disrepair.

He added: "In addition to cleaning the building and fixing paintwork, we decided to hoard the lower part of the building to improve its appearance - a decision taken in consultation with figures in the city's artistic community.

"However, as a result of recent feedback from the public we have decided not to proceed with the hoarding, and all preparatory work has now been removed."

Banksy has become one of art's hottest properties, with Angelina Jolie and Christina Aguilera among those who are reported to have splashed out on his work.