Photo: Rick Findler/Story Picture Agency/Shutterstock
Banksyis expressing his frustrations with Guess after he accused the fashion brand of using his work in a new clothing collection without his consent.
The graffiti artist claimed on Friday that the brand is using his art “without asking,” after sharing an Instagram image of a Guess storefront in London with his name printed on its window. The brand apparently claims it has permission.
“Attention all shoplifters,” Banksy wrote. “Please go to GUESS on Regent Street. They’ve helped themselves to my artwork without asking, how can it be wrong if you do the same to their clothes?”
The collection of shirts, coats, children’s clothing, and more is in partnership with Brandalised, a graffiti license whose mission is to “offer Banksy fans affordable graffiti collectibles,” according to the Guess website. It features 34 pieces, ranging in price from $40 to $275. Outside of “Flower Thrower,” the collection also uses Banksy’s works “Queen Ziggy”, “Living the Dream,” “Thug for Life Bunny,” and “Flying Balloon Girl.”
Guess did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday.
“The graffiti of Banksy has had a phenomenal influence that resonates throughout popular culture,” Paul Marciano, chief creative officer of Guess, said in a release. “This new capsule collection with Brandalised is a way for fashion to show its gratitude.”
Rebecca Sapp/WireImage
After Banksy’s post,the London shop changed its display, with one reading “please excuse our windows whilst we re-dress.”
Pest Control, which dubs itself as the “only body authorized to authenticate Banksy’s art,” states that the artist’s work can be used for “non-commercial, personal amusement,” however, his art is not licensed to third parties.
Speaking with BBC, copyright lawyer Liz Ward said that Guess seemed to have “sourced the Banksy artwork via a third party, namely Brandalised, who say they have rights to commercialize and use Banksy’s artwork on goods.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Earlier this week, the British artist confirmed toThe Art Newspaperthat he is the creator of seven new murals in Ukraine, specifically in Kyiv, Irpin, and Borodyanka.
One work shows a man resembling Russian president Vladimir Putin being tossed during a judo match, another shows a woman wearing a gas mask with a fire extinguisher, and another appears to show kids using a metal tank trap as a seesaw. These and the four others mark Banksy’s first public murals in more than a year.
source: people.com
