The Dailies

Word of the Day

Exude (v., egg-ZOOD)

To seep out of something or to portray a character trait abundantly. The slow trickle or the full blast. Sure. English is wonderful.

Gif of the Day

TagsShrugSideward glancesIdkScarvesZebrasBecause the internet?

Link of the Day

Banksy's painting shreds itself after selling for $1.4M

So...we don't usually like to pick things that are all over the internet in an aggressively look-at-me way, and Banksy kinda is that. (A very good version of that, but still a provocateur.) But: there's something about his recent stunt that is somewhat mesmerizing. Take a look at the reactions:

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. "The urge to destroy is also a creative urge" - Picasso

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His painting has just sold for $1.4M at Sotheby's, the Mecca of the art sales industry. Banksy, a notorious critic of the industry, somehow managed to get a version of his "Girl with the Heart Balloon" painting into the place for sale without them noticing the frame had a shredder in it. The painting sells for a huge amount of money...and then disintegrates, to the shock of the buyers.

I think Banksy's reaction on Twitter is far more interesting than the alleged reason for the stunt. There's something fascinating about a piece of art valued so highly that simply destroys itself. After all, all art will disintegrate while leaving an impact in the memories of those who see it. Sometimes it will be rebuilt better than before. While the art changes, so do the artist and the art lover. What's the value of something that can do that? Banksy is aiming there. The art sale industry is a canard. And in that, he's hitting both marks with a unique idea.

TagsArtBanksyNo second BArt imitating lifeShreddingFor my next magic trickCowabunga?