| By :
Martin Hofschroer
A British seaside hotel has dramatically increased in value thanks to the surprise addition of Banksy graffiti. The elusive Bristolian street artist is reportedly responsible for spray painting a massive image of a small boy drawing a robot onto the side of the Grosvenor Hotel in Torquay. At eight foot high, the graffiti incorporates an extractor fan fixed to an outside wall, which acts as the robot's eyes, while the boy is kneeling beside holding a pen and wearing a cardboard box with an aerial on top on his head. Joyleen Layman, the hotel's general manager, told the BBC that she immediately enjoyed the new artwork but did not realise that it was by the famous guerilla artist. She said: "I was at work on the Sunday night and it wasn't there when I left. But when I drove in the morning I noticed the cardboard box first and I parked the car then went back and had another look." The Sun newspaper reported that the hotel could increase in value by £150,000 due to the current popularity of the Bristolian as Banksy prints and originals have sold for small fortunes. Ms Layman said that the hotel is looking to protect the artwork due to its potential immense value. She told the BBC: "We hope to have it covered in Perspex soon, that way it will be protected and can be enjoyed by anyone walking or driving past. It's crazy how much interest it has generated, the phone has been ringing off the hook." Banksy has not claimed the grafitti as one of his own but the image has interestingly appeared in the 'outdoors' section of his personal website alongside his other famous works. Meanwhile, a pub in the centre of Liverpool which has a Banksy work of a giant rat holding a marker pen has been put on the market again, just nine months after it was first sold featuring the graffiti. The Whitehouse was bought by businessmen Sina Moradian and Billy Palmer for £114,000 in February and is now expected to fetch £175,000 when it goes under the hammer in mid-November. Artistic Director of the Bluecoat Bryan Biggs told the Liverpool Daily Post: "The Banksy is significant in that it is one of his largest works and some people seem to like it. Is it a cat or a rat?" Art enthusiasts who cannot afford to buy a house can console themselves with Banksy prints which sell for the fraction of the price.
|
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.articlesbacklink.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
