Earlier today, local residents in the northeastern London area of Walthamstow woke up to discover a new mural by elusive street artist Banksy- which also makes it the fifth Banksy work to go public this week. Banksy used his Instagram account in the early hours of August 9 to confirm the latest work, which depicts two pelicans raking around above a yellow fish and chips takeaway shop sign.
A Week of Animal-Themed Artworks
Bansky has been busy lately with a new genre of street art featuring animals; the five latest are all different. A black mountain goat, the first of the series, appeared atop a wall support structure in front of an all-seeing surveillance camera near Kew Bridge, London. Soon after, two elephants were painted facing each other on a pair of curtained windows in Chelsea.
The third piece showed a trio of monkeys hanging from the entrance of a subway station in east London. The fourth art from Banksy — a baying wolf sprayed in white onto a satellite TV dish in the London borough of Southwark — was reported as having been stolen just 90 minutes after images of it were made available on his website.
Theft and Vandalism: The Risks of Banksy’s Art
The theft of the howling wolf mural in Peckham is merely the latest incident. The Metropolitan Police said that the artwork was stolen by two people with a ladder not long after this post went live on Banksy’s Instagram, and so far no arrests have been made. There is also precedence fore targeting a Banksy piece. A life-size mural of a woman with a pressure washer, created in the north London neighborhood in March was practically defaced by white paint immediately after its unveiling. Following the prank, the building’s owner took steps to ensure the art is protected including putting plastic sheets and wooden boards over it.
Speculation Surrounds Banksy’s Intent
Like so many of Banksy’s pieces, the Instagram posts he has shared lack captions or titles and have since had us all wondering what the animal-centric artwork symbols. These latest works from the artist has everyone fanatically theorising what Banksy may or may not be saying.
A Legacy of Controversy and Popularity
Admire of his work have always turned to creating controversies in Banksy, or maybe it is the other way round. A spate of animal murals has drawn renewed attention to the street art and to the broader challenges of protecting it. Those banks are beyond towns where thieves and vandals have already destroyed the same kind of X. Will these on London’s streets last 24 hours?
Given the number of people who will be approaching these works, both locally and tourists they attract from everywhere else in the world, it is also understood that extra measures are needed to keep them safe. And, with such a dynamic natural canvas in play, it could require quick action by authorities and property owners to make sure these most recent creations are saved for public enjoyment.
Feature Image: WALTHAMSTOW, ENGLAND – AUGUST 09: A mural purportedly by the artist Banksy, showing pelicans eating fish, adorns the side of Bonners fish and chip shop on August 09, 2024 in Walthamstow, England. It was the fifth artwork debuted by the elusive street artist in London this week. (Photo by Matthew Baker/Getty Images)PHOTO BY MATTHEW BAKER/GETTY IMAGES
