Banksy graffiti gets vandalised

Two Utah paintings by the mysterious British graffiti artist Banksy were the targets of vandalism on New Year’s Eve, possibly ruining one of the works in the town that hosts the Sundance Film FestivShow more

Two Utah paintings by the British graffiti artist Banksy were the targets of vandalism on New Year’s Eve, possibly ruining one of the works in the town that hosts the Sundance Film Festival.

Brown spray paint covered a Park City mural that depicted a young boy with a pink halo and angel wings kneeling to pray behind a can of pink paint. The clear protective covering over the image had been shattered.

The second piece, of a cameraman stooped to shoot video footage of a flower, was not defaced, but the covering had been cracked.

The murals have become local points of pride since they appeared three years ago, and Park City police said they don’t have a motive for the crime.

Surveillance footage captured a lone white male suspect tampering with the art about 2am Tuesday.

It’s not clear whether the damaged mural can be restored, or how much the work was worth.

The unauthorized art first appeared in 2010, around the time Banksy was in Park City for the Sundance debut of his documentary, Exit Through the Gift Shop.

* Associated Press