With surprising speed, this BBC News report about a local vote on whether to preserve a piece of Banksy graffiti has been picked up by major outlets. Of course, there’s lots of irony in a vote to preserve a graffiti work being made irrelevant by someone tagging it. But we couldn’t help wonder whether the vandalism isn’t indication that Banksy’s popularity may be on the wane–along with the market for his art:

Sutton Council asked residents to vote on whether the “punk” mural should stay on its Beddington Farm Road site. More than 93% of the 250 voters urged the council to keep it but as the vote was taking place, the work was defaced by graffiti “taggers”. The council is deciding whether the mural can be restored.

Banksy Mural Defaced During Vote (BBC News)