From Banksy to Burberry: Destruction Within the Art World
On Oct. 5, Banksy shredded his work for the buyer to watch immediately after it sold for $1.4 million at Sotheby’s in London. “Girl With a Balloon,” one of the UK’s most renown pieces, is now all the more famous in the international art world for its self-destruction. Sotheby’s had to figure out how to deal with the shredded paper, or the genius performance art, in the auction setting. This rebellion against the wealth that keeps art alive – but also may devalue the content itself – has left the world stunned by Bansky; the phrase went viral: “It appears we just got Banksy-ed,” said Alex Branczik, senior director and head of contemporary art for Sotheby’s. While this may have been seen as an act of rebellion, the stunt was not necessarily menacing against the auction or money, but a new projection of art through the auction’s stage. Destruction in performance art doesn’t only exist in the art world but also in the fashion scene; whether they are trying to preserve their brand name, avoid counterfeit and resale or make a statement about their audience, designers have turned towards the destruction of their work – yet maybe not in the same poetic nature as Banksy.
Throughout last year, Burberry burned just under $40 million worth of unwanted pieces. Over the past five years, Burberry has burned upwards of $116 million, according to the Times, and has taken plenty environmental criticisms, which they have countered by explaining that they use energy harnessing incinerators. Burberry has reported that the destruction of their collection has been to preserve their name and make sure that their pieces don’t reenter the marketplace, and that this process has been implemented to minimize stock. Burberry has also joined with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular Initiative to support the circular fashion economy. At the end of the day, Burberry wants to be the only ones to sell their product, and they are not alone.
Watch companies, such as Richemont, owner of Cartier and Piaget, and Quartz have also engaged in this practice to save their brand. These luxury brands want to preserve their authenticity, but more than that they are able to reclaim refunds for unsold products in accordance with the US Customs and Border Patrol Protection program. For these big labels, there is more to the picture than pride alone, there is monetary incentives involved. For similar reasons, labels like Louis Vuitton and Chanel have followed suit. These brands make sure that everyone is paying the same money for the bag. Instead of going on sale, a bag is simply discontinued.
Banksy, Burberry and other artists was to preserve their name and their work, but their motivations are not the same. While Banksy’s destruction is a part of his artist statement and his rebellious attitudes towards money and consumption, Burberry and these other high-end fashion brands actually destroy for monetary benefits. Fashion and art are a part of the consumption industry, yet the designers make work (and in this case, destroy it) with disparate intentions. Nonetheless, destruction, for these designers, seems to be a statement in preserving and building their legacy.