Visitors to London Zoo photograph Banksy’s latest artwork – depicting a gorilla freeing animals. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images
Banksy’s London artworks – in pictures
The street artist’s murals have appeared across the city this month, beginning with a silhouette of a goat on the side of a building near Kew Bridge and continuing with fish swimming around a Police Box in the City of London, a rhino in Charlton and a gorilla at London Zoo
Jim Powell
Tuesday 13 August 2024
THE GUARDIAN
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MondayThe first of the Banksy artworks appeared on the side of a building near Kew Bridge in south-west London, depicting a mountain goat and falling rubblePhotograph: Benjamin Cremel/ |
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As the artist posted more images on his account, some social media users began calling the collection the ‘London zoo’ series and developed a theory that Banksy could be likening the recent far-right rioters to animals Photograph: Ray Tang/ |
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TuesdayPaul Gough, the vice-chancellor of Arts University Bournemouth and author of Banksy: The Bristol Legacy, said it was quite unusual for the artist to trail a series of works in this way Photograph: Mina Kim |
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TuesdayThe second official artwork, depicting two elephants, appeared on the side of a building at the junction of Edith Grove and Edith Terrace in Chelsea |
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WednesdayThe third artwork, depicting three monkeys, appeared on a bridge in Brick Lane in the East EndPhotograph: Lucy North/ |
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Paul Gough added: ‘By releasing images quickly through the social media site he’s eliminated the “whodunnit” part of the process, which normally obsesses global media’ Photograph: Andy Rain |
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ThursdayThe fourth artwork, depicting a howling wolf, appeared on a satellite dish in Peckham, south-east LondonPhotograph: Jordan Pettitt |
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The artwork was only briefly on display on the shop roof before it was stolen Photograph: Jordan Pettitt
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A number of past works by Banksy have been stolen, damaged or destroyed after going on display Photograph: Jordan Pettitt
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The theft cements the fact that Banksy is no longer just a street artist working in the shadows. His works have set numerous records at auction, including his seminal Love is in the Bin, which sold at Sotheby’s for £18.6m in 2021 and was described as the ‘pre-eminent artwork of the 21st century’ Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/ |
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FridayThe fifth artwork appeared on the side of a fish and chip shop in Walthamstow, north-east London |
The theft cements the fact that Banksy is no longer just a street artist working in the shadows. His works have set numerous records at auction, including his seminal Love is in the Bin, which sold at Sotheby’s for £18.6m in 2021 and was described as the ‘pre-eminent artwork of the 21st century’ |
Photograph: Andy Rain |
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Dr Isobel Harbison, a lecturer in critical studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, said: ‘The message might be about the environment, ecology or harmony between the built and natural world. If there is a message we need to glean from our environment this week in London, I think it should be one of acceptance and mutual respect’ Photograph: Anadolu |
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SaturdayThis big cat on Edgware Road in Cricklewood was confirmed as the latest Banksy artworkPhotograph: Andy Hall |
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Banksy hopes the uplifting works cheer people with a moment of unexpected amusement, as well as to gently underline the human capacity for creative play, rather than for destruction and negativity Photograph: Andy Hall |
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SundayThe seventh artwork to be released this week, depicting fish swimming around a police box, in the City of LondonPhotograph: Henry Nicholls/ |
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MondayA new artwork depicting a rhinoceros climbing on top of a car on Westmoor Street in Charlton, south-east LondonPhotograph: Banksy |
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People take photos on their phones of the rhino artwork in Charlton Photograph: Matthew Chattle |
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TuesdayZSL staff measure a mural of a gorilla freeing animals that adorns a wall at London Zoo. ZSL featured the work on its Instagram account, suggesting it was the handiwork of the elusive street artistPhotograph: Leon Neal |
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Visitors to London Zoo photograph Banksy’s latest artwork Photograph: Leon Neal/ |
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