Cleanup Crew Eradicates Banksy Rat

Source: NYTimes.com Where Banksy is involved, there usually are no accidents, but in this case it truly does appear to be an accident that a street-cleaning crew in Melbourne, Australia, painted over a mural by that pseudonymous graffiti artist and provocateur. The Associated Press reported that Susan Riley, the deputy lord mayor of Melbourne, dispatched street cleaners to the city’s Hosier Lane after residents complained about squalid conditions at an alley known for its displays of public art. Among the works painted there was a stencil of a goggle-wearing rat, created by Banksy during a visit to Melbourne in 2003 — and removed by the crew, which was instructed to remove all graffiti from the area. In an interview on Australian radio, Kathy Alexander, the chief executive of the city of Melbourne, said, “Unfortunately, the contractors were not made aware by us that that was an important piece and unfortunately that means the piece is gone.”