The landlord privately demolished and sold the Banks mural and provoked the anger of the local residents

According to the British "Mirror" newspaper, a landlord couple demolished the Banks mural on the wall and sold it privately, causing controversy in the local area. Banks is a well-known graffiti artist who, last August, painted a mural about children and sandcastles on the wall of an old appliance store in Lovesteadft, Suffolkshire, England. The building's owner later quietly removed the artist's work and sold it privately. Their actions provoked anger and disappointment among the townspeople. Nasima Begum, deputy mayor of the city, said: "It's disgraceful that someone wants to profit from something that doesn't belong to them. I'm sure Banks wasn't there to paint murals to make someone else profit from them, which is a real shame. Banks' artwork caused a sensation and attracted many tourists. One expert said the mural could sell for as much as $2 million. The couple (Gary and Nadine Schwartz) are rumored to have sent the artwork to a prestigious Julian auction house in California. But sources say it never left British territory but was sold to a private buyer at an undisclosed price.

Darren Julien, CEO of Julian Auction House, confirmed this week that the artwork had been sold privately. "The owner of this painting has sold it under our services, so we can't provide it now," he said. John Brandler, a collector of banks murals, said the mural could sell for $1.5 million to $2 million at auction, and he thought Julian's guide price at auction was too low ($200,000 to $400,000), which made sellers hesitate.

Local residents have previously denounced the couple's decision to deduct the murals from the walls as "very selfish". On Facebook, local resident Brandon Eames considered the couple's behavior to be "stupid" and "rude." "This artwork is now being put on public auction," he wrote. It's scary. Why spend money to protect it and then take it away..." Said Matthew Cook, another local resident: "They are greedy, have a lack of understanding of the work, a lack of respect." Honestly, it's a joke and sets a very bad precedent. (Compiled and reported by China Youth Network)