Well, I certainly have made no secret of the fact that I think Bansky is pretty rad.  I think his installations are awesome, and he has definitely taken London by storm with his "grafitti" art.  One of the other great things?  He keeps his identity secret.  This is nice, in a time when everyone and their mother is trying to jump on the fame game gravy train!!

So the Telegraph has a little article about a property developer who is planning on painting over a Banksy piece.  I don't think this is the interesting part of the piece.  I DO believe in property ownership, and I think that each person has the right to paint their home as they like it- or paint over what they don't like.

BUT- this developer bought the building as a PIECE OF ART!  The only reason it was for sale was because it was a Banksy piece- yet, somehow, it just ended up being a great purchase and it's going to be developed into luxury condos....

Maybe, just maybe, the developer will re-think his idea, and perhaps find a way to keep the art... and still make money?  Who knows...

Here's the property:

Businessman to paint over Banksy artwork 'because he doesn't like art'

One of Britain's biggest Banksy artworks in Liverpool is to be painted over by a property developer who admits he doesn't like modern art.

By Andrew Hough
Published: 7:30AM GMT 19 Feb 2010

The mural, a 30-foot tall painting of a rat holding a machine gun, will disappear after the businessman bought the former Liverpool pub it adorns and promised to paint over it.

The Grade 2 listed Georgian property was adorned by artwork from the Bristol-born graffiti giant Banksy, as part of Liverpool's Biennial art festival in 2004.

But after purchasing the artwork at auction on Thursday for £114,000, property developer Billy Palmer, 44, admitted he has no interest in preserving the painting, despite protests from art lovers.

"I'm not a fan of modern art, I can't say I know much about it really," he said after the auction at Liverpool's Marriott Hotel.

"All I was concerned about was getting this great building for a good price, I'm going to turn it into luxury flats.

(read the rest of the article HERE)