If you ever patronized the former Valero at Beverly Boulevard and La Brea – Josh’s Valero – you might remember seeing the painting that appeared in silhouette on the side wall of the convenience store of a girl caught in the scope of the security camera? (“Flower Girl”)
Or maybe you frequent the car wash on the site where you can still see a painting of the girl watering a stalk that flowers into an antenna? (“Garden Girl”)
It turns out that both of these paintings are actual Banksy’s – street art painted in the wee hours of the morning by secretive, British artist Banksy. The Huffington Post reports that the “Flower Girl” painting is going up for auction in December via Julien’s Street Art Auction. It will be the first time that an original Banksy street mural is auctioned off in the US. The piece is expected to draw at least $150,000.
The New York Times has a great piece on the story behind the paintings – how Banksy essentially asked permission to paint on the walls through is friend Mr. Brainwash in 2008; and how the family separated “Flower Girl” from the property when they sold the gas station to the current owner in 2012.
You can still visit “Garden Girl” – she is adjacent to the car wash at the Chevron on the north west corner of La Brea and Beverly Boulevard and is protected behind plexi-glass for all to enjoy.
(Follow us on Facebook…where you can see a full picture of “Garden Girl” from before the protective covering went up!)
Read more:
The Huffington Post – Banksy Mural Up For Auction For First Time In U.S.
The New York Times – Owner Who Plans to Sell a Banksy Mural Steps Forward
Wikipedia – Banksy
