Is it a crime to deface traffic signs?

I thought he made the sign and then put the stencil onto it, I don’t think it was a real road sign that was put there by the Council or Highways Dept.

The Guardian has said it’s value is up to £500,000, so Banksy
must have placed it there.

There is no dispute that Banksy added the drones to the street sign and by doing so enhanced the value of the sign. If he's enhanced the sign he's not defaced (damaged) it. So he's not committed a crime. Apparently the council have replaced the sign for safety reasons. The Banksy enhanced sign remains (if it's found) council property and is now allegedly worth £500,000 so he's done the council a huge favour.

I don’t think it was a real stop sign either.

Of course Banksy defaced it. He drew/painted on a road traffic sign. Just because he's famous and makes pertinent political points doesn't make his 'embellishment' less of an offence than if a regular 'graffiti artist' just marked it with their tag, or some other adornment. If we're going to go down the road that Banksy, or someone else who grabs the public admiration and can command a high price for their art, is free to put their art anywhere at will, then that's a very divisive and elitist path to follow. Some of the graffiti regularly removed by councils is challenging or beautiful but it doesn't save it from removal by pressure sprays.

He hasn't defaced it, he's enhanced it.

OldFrill

He hasn't defaced it, he's enhanced it.

So you'd be happy for all traffic signs to be 'enhanced' at the will of any local artist?

The enhancement is due to his cult following. No other street artist has that.

What’s all this about? I half saw a news item earlier today about a traffic sign, but didn’t listen properly as I was doing something else.

Some drones were stencilled onto a street sign, within minutes of it being confirmed that Banksy was responsible the sign was stolen. The thieves have been arrested. A new sign has been put up. Not sure if the Banksy sign has been recovered but it is allegedly now worth £500,000.

OldFrill

The enhancement is due to his cult following. No other street artist has that.

Well I find it very concerning there are people who think, because Banksy has a cult following, that gives him a right to 'deface' a road traffic sign, something they'd condemn if an 'ordinary mortal' did exactly the same. Elitism in matters of law must always be wrong. Two tiered enforcement will always be an abomination.

You keep saying 'deface' he hasn't defaced it, he's enhanced it, therefore he has, in my opinion, not committed a crime
Your elitism argument is irrelevant, if he has enhanced and not defaced the sign, as he hasn't broken the law.

If a couple of unknown kids in hoodies, armed with a few cans of spray paint, sprayed on street signs in the dead of night, is that art or graffiti? Is this art or is it graffiti?

The OP is about crime in relation to defacing traffic signs. Maybe needs a new thread for walls.

OldFrill

You keep saying 'deface' he hasn't defaced it, he's enhanced it, therefore he has, in my opinion, not committed a crime
Your elitism argument is irrelevant, if he has enhanced and not defaced the sign, as he hasn't broken the law.

You've said 'in your opinion' which is exactly the point. You may think the sign has been enhanced but others see it as being defaced. Opinions are not relevant to matters of law, it's whether the law has been broken or not, and in this case it has.

Fair enough! What about this?

Or this? Graffiti? Or art?

FannyFanackerpan

If a couple of unknown kids in hoodies, armed with a few cans of spray paint, sprayed on street signs in the dead of night, is that art or graffiti? Is this art or is it graffiti?

Actually this is rather arty, although I consider most graffiti to be absolutely hideous. they usually all look the same. Wouldn't it be nice if they used their skills to paint beautiful landscapes, trees, rivers, rolling hills, beaches, seascapes. This would bring the natural world into the city and transform an ugly bare wall into something of beauty.

OldFrill

The OP is about crime in relation to defacing traffic signs. Maybe needs a new thread for walls.

Traffic signs need to be clear, they are instructions, they need no "enhancements". What's the difference between a Banksy 'enhancement' and the local graffiti squad 'enhancements' except an elitist attitude? Why do you consider Banksy above the law that applies to absolutely any other graffiti artist?
I have no problem with Banksy's embellishment or enhancement of any private property where he has permission but to place him as an exception from the law of the land in relation to anyone else seems bizarre and illogical to me. I don't approve of one law for the masses but an exceptional law for one, whoever that 'one' might be

S22a Road Traffic Act

(1)A person is guilty of an offence if he intentionally and without lawful authority or reasonable cause—

(c)interferes (directly or indirectly) with traffic equipment

3)In subsection (1) above “traffic equipment” means—

(a)anything lawfully placed on or near a road by a highway authority;

(b)a traffic sign lawfully placed on or near a road by a person other than a highway authority

So is Banksy an artist or a vandal?

FannyFanackerpan

S22a Road Traffic Act

(1)A person is guilty of an offence if he intentionally and without lawful authority or reasonable cause—

(c)interferes (directly or indirectly) with traffic equipment

3)In subsection (1) above “traffic equipment” means—

(a)anything lawfully placed on or near a road by a highway authority;

(b)a traffic sign lawfully placed on or near a road by a person other than a highway authority

So is Banksy an artist or a vandal?

Well unless we're placing Banksy as above the law, then definitely a vandal who placed his artistry unlawfully on a road traffic sign. Some apparently consider that a monetary value overrides the law of the land.

This is what I call street art. The artist is actually on the pavement.

Banksy is primarily a messenger - and tending towards anti-authoritarian. He does this through art.

Whenever people start pontificating about “the law of the land” (as if there were any other sort, I just switch off.