Tag Archives: UK

London, streets

Banksy new mural in London

Elusive artist Banksy unveiled a new mural in Finsbury Park, North London on Saint Patrick’s day.  Located in Hornsey Road, a social housing area, the council recently pruned a massive  mature cherry tree, as part of their regular maintenance,  and left it looking miserable.

Before Banksy mural – image courtesy of the artist

Using a pressure hose or fire extinguisher, Banksy painted a cascade of green colour on the façade of the nearby building, creating a trompe l’oeil effect.   At the bottom the mural Banksy used a stencil to paint a lifesized person holding a pressure hose next to it.  When stepping back, it looks like the tree is bursting to life.

Banksy’s attention to detail is noticeable with the green colour palette matching the one used by Islington Council for signs in the local area.  This also helped him act unnoticed despite the bright green colour.

This fire extinguisher technique is a favourite amongst graffiti artists as it enables to cover large surfaces high and wide quickly without the need of a ladder or scaffholding. 

_▁▁▂▄▅▆sumMeR

Mural by Russian artist 0331© in Moscow,  2012

Local residents expressed joy and pride to the addition of this major cultural element to their streets.

Listen to the podcast on BBC with James Peak and Patrick Nguyen here

Placement and timing are key. A celebration of the green colour (perfect timing with Saint Patrick’s day), combined with a celebration of nature and the springtime season in full bloom.

Update 20.03.2024

Street art is ephemeral by nature.

The mural did not last long in its original state. Three days after unveiling the piece, the wall has received some white splash paint, as well as a little addition with a brick signature character by Ronzo. Can you spot it?

Image PA

Street, streets

New Banksy artworks in Lowestoft, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth and Cromer

Elusive artist Banksy seems to be enjoying a staycation on the British seaside this summer. Several stencilled artworks have popped up in Suffolk, in Lowestoft, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth and Cromer. With a careful selection of locations, the artworks play with their surroundings: a child is building a sand castle on the pavement, reminiscent of the 1968 French student’s uprising ‘ Sous les paves la plage’ ( beneath the pavement, the beach). Another artwork features three children who seem to empty buckets of water and stare at the horizon while a message reads ‘ We all in the same boat’.

An elderly couple are dancing away on a bus shelter while a guy is playing accordeon.

A giant seagull is about to pick up what looks like ‘chips’ from a dip, while on the beach a rat is laying on a sun-chair sipping a martini glass, and crabs approach a sign ‘Luxury rentals’ to become hermit crabs.

Photos PA and @leandajaineillustrations

Enjoy the English Summer!

Update 8.8.2021

A new model of a miniature stable, which appears to have been signed by the artist, was found at Merrivale Model Village in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on Sunday morning. On the side of the miniature stable a cheeky message states ‘Go big or go home’ with his signature rat character.

Photos Merrivale Model Village

CovidArt

Covid’Art: Banksy ‘Game Changer’ gift to the NHS

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Banksy has donated a new piece of artwork to be displayed in a hospital corridor of Southampton General Hospital.

The piece, entitled Game Changer shows a boy dressed in dungarees playing with a nurse superhero toy, with figures of Batman and Spiderman in a basket on the floor.

The nurse, wearing a cape, face mask and a white apron featuring a red cross, has her arm raised as if she is flying.

Banksy left a note for hospital workers, saying: “Thanks for all you’re doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if its only black and white.”

Paula Head, chief executive of University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Here at Southampton, our hospital family has been directly impacted with the tragic loss of much loved and respected members of staff and friends.

“The fact that Banksy has chosen us to recognise the outstanding contribution everyone in and with the NHS is making, in unprecedented times, is a huge honour.

“It will be really valued by everyone in the hospital as people get a moment in their busy lives to pause, reflect and appreciate this piece of art.

“It will no doubt also be a massive boost to morale for everyone who works and is cared for at our hospital.”

The hospital previously paid tribute to members of staff Mike Brown, 61, and Katy Davis, 38, who both died after testing positive for coronavirus.

Mr Brown, a linen porter who had been with the organisation for 20 years, died on April 29 after receiving care in the hospital’s critical care unit.
He was described as a well-recognised and popular member of staff who shared his good sense of humour with those around him.

Ms Davis, who worked in child health, had been unwell for some time before her admission to hospital and died on April 21 after testing positive for Covid-19.
She was described by Ms Head as a “nurse people would aspire to be like”.

The one meter sized artwork is now visible to staff and patients on level C of the Southampton General. It will then be auctioned to raise money for NHS charities this autumn.

Pictures courtesy of Banksy’s instagram and Nurse Jennifer Hammond

London

London: Banksy Vote Love

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Banksy - Vote to Love

For the 250th Anniversary of the Summer Exhibiton at the Royal Academy in London, Banksy submitted an artwork under the pseudonym Bryan S Gaakman, anagram of ‘banksy anagram’ and it was refused. However when curator Grayson Perry contacted him to submit something, Banksy did it again and it is now displayed in the gallery 3.

The artwork features a heart shaped balloon with plaster over a political board that was used for the Brexit referendum vote. The initial board favoured the ‘Leave’ campaign.
With his humorous style, the ‘Leave’ campaign has been replaced by a ‘Love’ statement. To add further irony, the price tag on the artwork is £350 millions, a nod to the infamous ‘Leave bus’ claiming that Britain would save £350m a week after Brexit.

The heart shaped balloon is an image close to Banksy, starting with his iconic Girl with Balloon (2002) who was also used worldwide for the #withSyria campaign in 2014

#Syria - Banksy London

The first Love Heart Balloon with plaster appeared at the MOCA exhibition ‘Arts in the Streets’ in Los Angeles in 2011.

Banksy
Pic by BirdMan

A Heart Balloon mural was painted in the streets of New York in 2013 during his artistic residency Better Out than In.

And a painted canvas  with the Heart Balloon was then sold in 2014 to support the Haitian Charity Auction for $650K.


Pic by Banksy

Throughout the years, Banksy expressed his views on political issues, and specially the Brexit.  We recall the mural in Dover in May 2017 featuring a worker chiselling away a star from the European Flag (see our previous coverage here).

Banksy in DoverBanksy in Dover

This was followed by the release of a revisited version of the Girl With Balloon featuring a heart with the Union Jack flag  for the UK Elections  in June 2017, which was later recalled due to criminal offence (covered)


Pic by Banksy

Banksy - Vote to Love

The 250th Summer Exhibition of the Royal Academy features 1300 artworks from internationally renowned artists and exciting new talents.

Come back again soon for our full coverage on the exhibition.

250th Summer Exhibition
Royal Academy
Until 19 August 2018
Burlington House, Piccadilly,
London, W1J 0BD

Bristol

Bristol: Banksy Girl with UK Balloon Print – Product Recall

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Coinciding with the UK elections, Banksy just announced on his website the free release on 9th June of an exclusive  new print, featuring his iconic Girl with Balloon with the heart being replaced by the UK flag. He hasn’t released any prints since 2010, so this is very exciting news. But there are some conditions.

‘This limited edition artwork on archival quality paper is completely free, but is only available to registered voters in the Bristol North West, Bristol West, North Somerset, Thornbury, Kingswood and Filton constituencies. Simply send in a photo of your ballot paper from polling day showing you voted against the Conservative incumbent and this complimentary gift will be mailed to you.

Lawyer’s note: this print is a souvenir piece of campaign material, it is in no way meant to influence the choices of the electorate, has no monetary value, is for amusement purposes only and is strictly not for re-sale. Terms and conditions to follow, postage not included ‘.

Since the announcement on the website on 3 June, this generated a frenzy of discussions and debate, the role of the artist and political influencing power but also as to whether this was legal or not.  Mentioned on the BBC website, due to the increasing number of complaints to the Somerset Police, an investigation has been launched.

Police said anyone taking part in the offer could also be prosecuted.

A police spokesman said: “We’ve received a number of complaints about an offer of a free Banksy print to people living in six Bristol constituencies in exchange for them voting in a certain way in the forthcoming election and we can confirm we’re investigating the offer. It is a criminal offence under the Representation of the People Act 1983 for any voter to accept or agree to accept a gift or similar in return for voting or refraining from voting. Any person participating in an offer to receive a gift is at risk of being prosecuted.”

As a result on 5 June a message on Banksy’s website is now mentioning a product recall.

BPR

www.banksy.co.uk