The paint is dry on Banksy’s animal-themed street art that appeared across London over 9 days

By Brian Melley, The Associated Press on August 14, 2024.

LONDON (AP) – On the 10th day, after creating the mountain goat, elephants, pelicans, a rhinoceros and a gorilla, among other animals, Banksy rested.

The elusive street artist’s menagerie that appeared around London over nine consecutive days apparently came to a conclusion after a final mural surprised staff who arrived early to feed the animals Tuesday at the London Zoo.

There was nothing new posted Wednesday on the artist’s website or his Instagram page, where his avid fans typically learn of his recent work. Those who live close enough often rush out to view it and snap photos – sometimes before it can be snapped up.

The zoo mural depicting a gorilla lifting up the entrance gate as birds took flight, a sea lion waddled away and three sets of eyes peered out from the darkness inside, was the last in the series, the BBC reported. A spokesperson for Banksy did not return multiple messages by The Associated Press.

Fans of the artist, whose real identity is not known, continued to debate the meanings of the paintings online. Some suggested the animals represented people and that the murals spoke to the Israel-Palestinian war. Others said they referred to the recent riots in Britain blamed on the far-right.

Banksy, who has been known to advocate for human and animal rights, could have been suggesting the creatures needed to be liberated from incarceration, some said. Others suggested more innocent whimsy: the final painting was the big reveal of where all those other animals came from.

Jasper Tordoff, the Banksy expert at MyArtBroker, said there had been a theory as the number of animals multiplied successively from one to two to three in the first works that the artist was creating a Noah’s Ark theme that mirrored his previous religious satire. But that theory seemed shot when the fourth work was a lone wolf that “came out of nowhere,” he said.

Banksy’s art is often pointedly political and Tordoff said these recent murals, created using stencils and spray paint, are clever but simple works that are meant to be fun. The artist’s company told the Observer that the series was meant to bring some joy during a period of dark news.

But Tordoff said Banksy may be making a commentary on human nature and the desire for possessions as at least one of the works has been stolen and others moved to preserve them.

“We’re in this pantomime of Banksy. We’re part of this installation in a way,” Tordoff said. “Banksy undoubtedly knew that all of this would be covered with photographs and CCTV about what the public reaction is, and that might be part of it, because that’s been just as entertaining in my view.”

Here’s a look at the nine works that were mostly painted as silhouettes:

– Aug. 5: A mountain goat perched on a narrow building buttress and looking down as crumbling rocks appear to fall in west London.

– Aug. 6: Two elephants painted on boarded-up windows on the side of a rowhouse in Chelsea face each other and reach out with their trunks. Followers on Instagram suggest they are the proverbial “elephants in the room” – that can’t be missed but no one wants to discuss them.

– Aug. 7: Three monkeys swing and hang on the side of a railway bridge in east London. Some fans say they represent the “see no, hear no, speak no evil” wise monkeys from ancient Japan.

– Aug. 8: A lone howling wolf on a satellite dish breaks up what had appeared to be an ascending sequence of animals. The dish art had a short shelf life as masked men showed up with a ladder and climbed up on the roof above a storefront in south London, removed it and ran away.

– Aug. 9: Two pelicans were painted perched on the sign for a fish and chip shop in northeast London. One of the birds has its beak pointed upward and is catching a fish in its big mouth while the second one appears to be snapping up a fish that is part of the sign. The owners of the shop, which is closed until September, said on Instagram that it was “over the moon” Banksy decorated their shop. “Contrary to some beliefs, we didn’t ask him to do this, but are very grateful he did!” Bonners Fish Bar wrote.

– Aug. 10: A big cat stretches out on a dilapidated plywood billboard in north London. Crowds that had gathered to see it booed as contractors arrived to remove it for security reasons.

– Aug. 11: The windows of a small police guard post were painted with a circling school of piranhas so that it appeared to look like a fish tank. This is the only work in the series painted in color. The sentry box near the Old Bailey criminal courthouse was taken to City of London corporate offices to protect it, a spokesperson said. It will eventually be placed where it can be viewed by the public.

– Aug. 12: A rhinoceros painted on a brick wall appeared to be mounting a small Nissan car parked in front of it on the sidewalk. The rhino was later tagged with graffiti and the car was removed.

– Aug. 13: The zoo mural was discovered early Tuesday, said Dan Simmonds, animal operations manager at the zoo. “I’ve worked here for about 20 years, and this definitely wins the prize for my most surprising arrival at work,” he said. “A massive surprise for me. But indeed for all of London, indeed all of the world.” A day later, cyclists and runners stopped to snap selfies and photos of the painting that was behind barriers, protected by an acrylic shield and overseen by three security guards.

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