Famed street artist Banksy has been producing a series of murals along the English east coast, as part of his ‘Great British Spraycation.
The first mural appeared in Great Yarmouth, depicting a man playing accordion and a couple dancing over a bus shelter. It was followed by another one in Gorleston, featuring an arcade toy-grabber cane. The one in Lowestoft depicted a child building a sandcastle. Another one, spotted in Oulton Broad, featured three children in a boat. This is the first time that the mysterious street artist has produced so many works in a short period.
But many other antics marked a departure from the artist’s usual style. Known for his murals, the artist left a miniature thatched table with his signature at the Marrivale Model Village. Banksy soon cleared the air around this development, with a video posted on his verified Instagram handle. Titled “The Great British Spraycation”, the video showed the artist finishing a mural that depicted a rat sipping a cocktail while relaxing. The video also compiled the reactions of the audience who witnessed the artist, with mixed opinions. Soon, people started a hunt for more murals that might have been made by the elusive artist. This led to the discovery of many lesser-known recent works, like the addition of an ice-cream cone and tongue added to a statue in King’s Lynn.
Like in the past, the authorities have not been kind to the work of the artist. Recently, the city authorities of Great Yarmouth ordered the covering of one of the murals depicting two children on an inflatable dinghy. The authorities cited the death of a girl under similar circumstances in 2018, and called the decision a “sensitive” one, respecting the sentiments of the locals.
