During the Folkestone Triennial in Kent, street artist Banksy created a new piece that featured an old lady looking at a plinth that held a piece of buffed art. Men were seen measuring the piece the next day, and not long after it was covered with plexiglass so that the valuable art could not be damaged or ruined by the elements or vandalizers. According to the Guardian, the plexiglass didn't stop one vandal from inserting a big penis into the piece, painting the genitalia as if it were the sculpture that the woman was viewing.
According to the Folkestone Herald, the Kent police were called around 8 p.m. on Sunday when someone discovered the "critical damage" to the piece. A grounds maintenance manager told Kent Online that an officer "saw the crude image from where he was working in Payers Park. He immediately returned to the office to collect the equipment he needed to clean it off. We always endeavor to act quickly when made aware of images of such an offensive nature." It looks like covering the piece was a good idea, or maybe it was just an invitation for someone to "deface" the piece in a way that was funny and not at all damaging.
[via Guardian]
