Photo: Andrew Matthews | PA via AP, file
In May 2020, notorious street artist Banksy left a painting entitled "Game Changer" on a wall at Southampton General Hospital in southern England with a note for workers: "Thanks for all you're doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if it's only black and white." The painting depicts a young boy playing with a nurse superhero toy, as Batman and Spiderman toy figures lie in a wastepaper basket near him. On March 22, the painting sold for a record 16.8 million pounds ($23.2 million), and the auction house announced a "significant portion" of its sale proceeds will be used to fund health organizations and charities across the UK. "Banksy is an extraordinary artist who is a constant barometer of nationwide sentiment, said Katharine Arnold, head of the action house's European postwar and contemporary art division. With the perfect image of a little boy playing with his superhero doll, a nurse sporting the international Red Cross, he perfectly captured the essence of this moment in time." A reproduction of the art will stay at the hospital for patients, visitors and staff.
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