Has Banksy been on an East Anglian seaside ‘spraycation’?
Crowds have been flocking to see the new artwork in Admiralty Road, Great Yarmouth, one of eight to appear in East Anglian coastal towns in recent days
Eight pieces of Banksy-style street art are causing a stir on the east coast of England. The anonymous artist has yet to claim them, but could he have been on an East Anglian “spraycation”? BBC News looks at where the pieces are, what their significance could be and what might happen to them.
Where is it? Nicholas Everitt Park, Oulton Broad, Suffolk.
What does it show? Three children near a boat structure next to the tagline “We’re all in the same boat”.
What is happening to it? Oulton Broad Parish Council removed the metal “boat” over flooding fears as it was blocking a drain and rain was forecast. But a spokeswoman promised it would be put back.
What is an expert’s view? Prof Paul Gough, principal and vice chancellor of Arts University Bournemouth, said: “The team will have been scouting possible venues across East Anglian coast for some time: nothing is left to chance with Banksy’s public artwork.
“Unlike your average tag, his stencils are pre-planned, prepared and perfectly positioned.
“Banksy is also adept at recycling stuff left lying around – a bicycle tyre, a pile of sand – or here at Oulton Broad, a corrugated metal sheet that doubles as a boat to convey a powerful environmental warning, as the children bail out the sinking ship.”
Where is it? Katwijk Way, Lowestoft, Suffolk.
What does it show? A gull on the side of a property appearing to try to eat “chips” – made from pieces of insulation material – from a skip.
What is happening to it? The artwork is one of three in the town, and a spokesman for East Suffolk Council said the authority was “intrigued” but waiting to see if they were genuine. However, it is considering protecting the pieces.
What is an expert’s view? Prof Gough said that gulls had “made fleeting appearances” in Banksy’s previous seaside locations.
“Here a vast seagull, painted on a gable wall in a more elaborate manner than one often sees in his work, hovers over a skip filled with huge carved chips – a reference to the incorrigible bin-picking tendencies of the ferocious urban gulls that can terrorise our resorts.”
Where is it? London Road North, Lowestoft.
What does it show? A child with a crowbar next to a sandcastle and a lifted paving slab.
What is happening to it? This is the second of three pieces in the town. An East Suffolk Council spokesman said the authority was awaiting confirmation they were genuine.
What is an expert’s view? Prof Gough said that across East Anglia, Banksy had “combined playfulness and light relief with something a little menacing”.
“Particularly here in Lowestoft as a child builds a sandcastle, not with bucket and spade, but with a crowbar,” he said.
He believes the artist is referencing the student uprising in Paris in 1968, which had the slogan “sous les pavés, la plage!”, which means “beneath the pavement, the beach”, and questions whether the “crowbar is a reference to a world of eviction and squatting”.
Where is it? The bottom of Links Hill, North Beach, Lowestoft.
What does it show? A rat leaning back in a deckchair drinking a cocktail.
What is happening to it? As with the other Lowestoft pieces, the council is considering protecting the work.
What is an expert’s view? Prof Gough said rats had been the artist’s “rodent of choice for decades: irreverent, playful characters that have popped up during his Covid-inspired period”.
“Here in Lowestoft a rat enjoys a cocktail on the seawall, a few inches below a drain that drips waste water.
“Banksy and his team will have scouted these locations very carefully, leaving nothing to chance, and always fastidious when selecting a site. It’s what makes him and his work so very powerful.”
Where is it? Admiralty Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
What does it show? Three people on top of a bus shelter: two dancing and another playing an accordion.
What is happening to it? The piece is one of two accessible to the public in the Great Yarmouth Borough Council area, and the authority said it had inquired as to their authenticity.
What is an expert’s view? “Banksy has taken the roof of a bus shelter as the floor of a dance hall, and painted several very fine figures,” said Prof Gough.
“Working at life-size scale, we are looking at a painter in his prime. Very few street artists can use stencils as expertly as this; and certainly no-one capable of doing so at speed from a very exposed perch.”
Where is it? The seafront at Gorleston, Norfolk.
What does it show? An arcade-style grabber crane above a bench.
What is happening to it? As with the Admiralty Road piece, Great Yarmouth Borough Council is viewing it as an artwork and considering ways to protect it.
What is an expert’s view? “Banksy has a love-hate relationship with the seaside, especially its amusement arcades,” said Prof Gough.
“What he’s done at Gorleston is to use a powerful silhouette at scale to intimidate anyone of the bench, but also to pay homage to one of the most memorial emblems of the arcade.”
Where is it? Merrivale Model Village, Great Yarmouth.
What does it show? Graffiti on a miniature stable, with Banksy’s name and a tagline: “Go big or go home”. A rat can be seen standing on a cartwheel propped against the wall.
What is happening to it? The model village said a model it “had never seen before” was sitting amongst its little cottages. The attraction’s owner Frank Newsome told the BBC it “does look genuine so we’re now trying to ascertain via the Banksy website whether it is or it isn’t”. He said the model was removed at night and secured off-site.
What is an expert’s view? “Banksy has a crew of animators, model-makers and fabricators he can recruit to create the most exquisite miniatures and models,” said Prof Gough.
“The thatched cottage at Merrivale village is a fine example, with an additional outsize signature tag, and a message ‘Go big or go home’ that plays on the idea of scale and houses – but is also about ambition: Banksy rarely does things by halves.”
Where is it? On a sea wall in Cromer, Norfolk.
What does it show? A group of hermit crabs with one in a shell holding a sign stating: “Luxury rentals only.” Cromer is famous for its crabs.
What is happening to it? A spokesperson for North Norfolk District Council said: “We’ve noted the arrival of the eye-catching artwork on our seafront at Cromer. We’re not yet sure whether this is a confirmed Banksy creation but we’re minded to let tourists and local residents visit the site to enjoy it and make their own minds up, until nature takes its course and the sea removes it.”
What is an expert’s view? “This is a quite brilliant painting, which combines humour with a very serious message that refers to homelessness, refugees and the rental market,” said Prof Gough.
“It’s also a brilliant play on the idea of the hermit, a loner denied access to secure accommodation.
“Only Banksy could bring these images and messages together. He’s certainly bombed the East Anglian coast, a true staycation, or, more exactly, a ‘spraycation’.”
SOURCE: www.bbc.com
BY: www.bbc.com
ILLUSTRATION: GETTY
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