March 18th 2024.
Banksy's street art has become a familiar sight in the United Kingdom, with his thought-provoking pieces appearing on walls, bridges, and buildings all over the country. This anonymous British graffiti artist is known for his political and satirical murals, as well as his daring pranks that have earned him millions of pounds since he rose to fame in the late 1990s. Recently, a new mural of a green splatter behind a leafless tree appeared in Finsbury Park, north London, attracting a large number of visitors. But who is Banksy and where can one see his work? Here's everything you need to know.
London is a hot spot for Banksy's art, with several murals scattered throughout the city. While some of his pieces have been removed or destroyed, there are still some that can be found on the streets. For example, there are two Banksy pieces on the side of the defunct nightclub Cargo in Shoreditch, and a cartoon parodying the royal family from 2008 can still be seen on Church Street in Stoke Newington. However, some of his pieces have faded over time, such as the faint outline of a girl and a cash machine on Rosebury Avenue in Clerkenwell. One of the best-preserved Banksy murals in London is the one in Mayfair depicting a woman falling from a building, clutching onto a shopping trolley. It can be found on Bruton Street.
If you're looking to see a larger collection of Banksy's work, the easiest way is to visit the Art of Banksy exhibition, which features unauthorized pieces by the artist. The exhibition is set to open on March 22nd at a new location on Charing Cross Road. But Banksy's art is not limited to London alone. His hometown of Bristol is also filled with his murals, including one of his most famous works, the Grim Reaper, which was originally painted on the side of a nightclub called Thekla. Other notable pieces in Bristol include Well Hung Lover, located on the side of a sexual health clinic, and The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum, a parody of the famous painting by Johannes Vermeer, located on Hanover Place.
Banksy's art has also appeared in other cities in the UK, such as Hull, Nottingham, and Cheltenham. In fact, a new piece recently popped up in Cheltenham, the home of government surveillance agency GCHQ. But why have so many of Banksy's pieces been destroyed? It's mostly due to the rising value of his work, leading building owners to attempt to profit from it. For example, an entire section of a shop wall in Lowestoft was removed in 2021 because it displayed an original Banksy. In Peckham, a piece of art featuring three drones on a traffic stop sign was stolen in broad daylight, with one gallery owner estimating its worth at £500,000.
But it's not just others destroying Banksy's art - he has also been known to destroy his own work. In 2018, a painting called Girl With Balloon was sold for over £1 million and was immediately shredded by a mechanism installed in its frame by Banksy himself. The incident made headlines and the painting was later renamed Love is in the Bin. In 2021, it was sold again for a record-breaking £18.6 million. So, how much is Banksy's art worth? While he doesn't sell his own work, pieces owned by others have fetched millions at auctions. In fact, one of his paintings called Game Changer was given to a hospital in Southampton as a thank you to NHS workers and was later sold for £16.8 million.
Despite his fame and success, Banksy's true identity remains a mystery. There have been many rumors and theories, with some believing that he is actually Robert Del Naja from the band Massive Attack. Others have speculated that he is a group or collective of graffiti artists. In a 2017 interview, rapper Goldie referred to Banksy as 'Rob', leading some to believe that he was referring to Del Naja. However, Goldie later clarified that he was actually talking about Robin Gunningham, who has been linked to Banksy by former schoolmates and associates. When asked about these rumors, Banksy simply responded with a 'no'. Whether we ever find out the true identity of Banksy or not, his thought-provoking art will continue to captivate and inspire people all over the world.
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