Within 9 days, the world famous street artist Banksy revealed 9 of his new works in the British capital – all of them animal themed.
Usually, Banksy's art is seen as some form of entertainment by citizens, and many see it as an attempt to draw attention to various issues, which makes his works unique, according to experts in the field.
A hero, according to some, a vandal – according to others, "the elusive and anonymous" street artist Banksy undoubtedly becomes a media event with the appearance of each of his works.
Banksy is a graffiti artist from Bristol – the largest city in South West England, the honor of whose works have a social focus or are modified images of famous paintings and personalities. Some of his works have been shown in museums in London, in New York and even in the Louvre.
Given that his works appear out of the blue in unexpected places and yet are precisely executed - there is also a theory that there is probably a whole team behind Banksy and that he is not really as "elusive and anonymous" as is introduced.
Isn't it a matter of extremely well-measured and thought-out PR in a "conspiracy with the authorities"?
His latest series of animals in London - his favorite place of action - quite naturally gave rise to a series of speculations as to what was behind the creator's inspiration. If one looks at the map of London – a city of huge dimensions, with nine places marked with Banksy's works, you will realize with what a huge scope and probably great efforts the street artist acted.
Banksy is a controversial person - not everyone accepts him as an artist, and some even as a profiteer in the thus created niche. Even songs are sung about him - such as that of Jonathan Mann, an American singer known for recording a short version of a new song every day and uploading it to YouTube.
Do his works really carry a message and are they impactful?
On August 5, his first work of the latest series appeared at Kew Green in the south-west London borough of "Richmond". It was a goat literally perched on a ledge while rocks fall on a wall.
On the following day, August 6, two elephants were depicted stretching their trunks towards each other, and on August 7, three monkeys appeared hanging from a railway bridge in Brick Lane, East London.
People really began to question what the deeper meaning of this animal series was. If nothing else, Banksy's works are thought-provoking, and that's no small feat if that's the author's true goal.
And because we live in turbulent times, with so many conflicting events, many saw in the goat a metaphor for "standing on the edge at a time of change" and in the outstretched trunks of the two elephants - "striving for something from different sides" , from different points of view".
Are the three monkeys not a reference to the "wise monkeys" in a Japanese proverb about fame that reads: "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil"?
Isn't it all a reflection of the social division in the country amid the recent unrest, right up to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip?
To the BBC, James Ryan, chief executive of Grove Gallery, which sells originals and copies of Banksy, said he initially thought the works were politically engaged and carried motivated messages.
According to him, the goat is a reference to Palestine and Gaza, and the howling wolf, in one of the subsequent works, is more of a call for help when you are being chased.
And after the appearance of the latest work on the shutters of the London Zoo, in which a gorilla lifts them so that birds and a sea lion can escape, Ryan also saw the theme of imprisonment: animals are trapped.
Ryan even linked this Banksy work to another of his from 2006, the rather popular "Sweep It Under the Carpet" ("Sweep it under the rug"), depicting a maid with a broom and spade, which was also painted in North London.
It is believed that with it Banksy expresses his indignation at how some countries ignore problems somewhere else in the world.
But this is not the first time that the street artist presents a series of everyday works.
He did it with the series "Staycation" in East Anglia, in New Orleans and during a month's stay in New York.
James Peak, who recently presented as a presenter the show "The Story of Banksy" on the BBC, and explained that the artist "cares a lot about the humane treatment of animals" and has "helped "Greenpeace" with a campaign a few years ago".
According to him, the artist has also made environmental themes part of his work in the past, when he threw cardboard with inscriptions into the monkey enclosures at Longleat and Melbourne Zoo in Australia, so the monkeys were holding these posters, on some of which read "Please help! I am the victim of a cruel science experiment" or "I'm a celebrity, get me out of here!".
Peek added that Banksy's campaigns "often only really make sense when you start rewinding the tape".
Banksy's latest series of works did not go without problems - the howling wolf that was depicted on a satellite dish in "Peckham" - a south-east London district with a motley population, appears to have been stolen.
Two other works were removed by the London authorities
One - on a derelict billboard in Cricklewood, depicting a large cat stretching out in the morning sun, which was removed for security reasons, i.e. to prevent the billboard from being damaged or stolen.
And the other piece - with piranhas swimming on top of a police watch box in the City of London - was also taken to safety.
However, two of the works were damaged
The one with the two elephants - someone sprayed white stripes on them.
The rhinoceros so artfully painted on a wall behind a parked car with a cone-like horn at the front so it looks as if it's perched on top of the car was also damaged.
Some have spoken of a revival of an old feud between Banksy and Robo - his revered London rival, now deceased.
And here comes the issue of the differences in how socially acceptable street art is valued compared to traditional graffiti, which is often considered criminal damage.
With this 9-day run in London, however, Banksy has undoubtedly grabbed the world's attention again.
According to James Ryan, the series has "achieved the desired effect - a real theatrical performance was created" which "reaffirms" Banksy's status as a "legislator of fashion" in street art.
Theories of who Banksy really is
One of the most popular versions is that this is the founder of the popular trip hop group Massive Attack – Robert Del Naia, who, by the way, has the fame of a graffiti master. He himself categorically denies being Banksy.
There are, of course, other suspects, most notably Robin Gunningham, a state school graduate who grew up in a middle-class suburb of Bristol.
The reason is that in a 2003 interview, Banksy appeared to confirm that his first name was Robbie when asked if his name was Robert Banks. Gunningham has not commented on the speculation.
By the way Banksy, whoever he is - rose to fame after he started spray painting his now trademark stencil designs around Bristol in the early 1990s.
The city's influential music and art scene - home to bands such as the aforementioned Massive Attack and Portishead - is said to have inspired his work.
Banksy himself is believed to have been born in the nearby town of Yate in the early 1970s.
His first major work was the stenciled mural "The Mild Mild West," which depicted a teddy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail at three riot police officers. It was painted in the Stokes Croft area of Bristol in 1999.
At the turn of the century he moved to London and continued to attract attention with his satirical street art. A few years later, Banksy has already become a celebrity, albeit an anonymous one.
At the same time, his works became more ambitious and appeared in cities around the world. The appearance of each of his new works becomes a media event. His mythic status as an anonymous artist mocking authority brought him, or at least his brand, international recognition.
Exhibitions of his work in cities including Los Angeles and London have become sold-out events. His often politically charged works began to sell for huge sums of money, with clients including Brad Pitt, Paul Smith and Christina Aguilera.
In 2009 his show "Banksy vs the Bristol Museum" drew huge crowds.
A 2010 documentary - "Exit Through The Gift Shop", showing Banksy at work without his face being shown, was nominated for an Oscar and a Bafta.
And in 2018, at the Sotheby's auction house, Banksy performed an amazing spectacle by destroying live his template of his famous work "Girl with a balloon". moments after it sold for £1m.
Many questions surround Banksy
Perhaps it is necessary to conclude that Banksy is just a brand - behind this name may be a real artist, but supported by an entire art team.
Experts say that while the artist may be entering middle age, his prolific creative output continues, if nothing else, with works that are more outspoken and political than his earlier works.
The war in Ukraine, where he appeared in November 2022, and immigration are just two of the pressing issues he has addressed recently.
With its fame, however, also come copycats and thefts. It is not by chance that he legitimizes his works on his Instagram account.
Of course, not all of his works are political - some have a purely comical and sardonic message for society.
The fact that we don't know who Banksy really is may not really matter...
According to John Brandler - director of Brandler Art Galleries, it is convenient for Banksy to remain anonymous “so he can walk down the street“ without being recognized.
However, in his words, the Banksy brand will survive even if his identity is revealed:
“For the art world, it no longer matters. The brand is so big now. His people have made the Banksy brand such an incredible thing that now it wouldn't make any difference if he appeared in front of everyone. His statements are so powerful. This is brilliant marketing. People buy because of the brand. When he started out, anonymity helped him stand out as a masked crusader, but now that doesn't matter. He is very smart. It hasn't flooded the market. He is a brilliant businessman."
„I like it! What Banksy does makes me smile. There are many cartoonists, because he is basically a cartoonist, who are political, but he is the only one right now who can make you smile, laugh, but also think and understand the message for a hundred years . And this, I think, is very significant, because there are many artists who will tell you something today and it will be interesting to you for a day or two, but after that it will become boring to you. I will never be bored with Banksy!“., says John Brydon.
The BNR correspondent in London, Veselin Paunov, told about the personality of Banksy for the show "Summer Nights". - the summer edition of "Night Horizon" on August 17, 2024 with Zornitsa Bliznashka and Maria Petrova.