The elusive street artist Banksy unveiled a new animal-themed artwork on Friday (August 9), marking the fifth piece to appear this week.
The guerrilla artist confirmed on Instagram that he was behind a new piece depicting two pelicans above a “fish and chips” shop in northeast London, just like the previous works. The birds are portrayed in silhouette, fishing at the top of Bonners Fish Bar in Walthamstow, northeast London. One user commented on Banksy’s Instagram post: “The value of Bonners Fish Bar has multiplied by 10 overnight!”. Banksy has posted an image of a new animal-themed artwork every consecutive day this week.
As with the earlier works revealed throughout the week, the artist has given no hints as to a deeper meaning, simply posting an image of the artwork without a caption. Many online have speculated on the meaning of this series of animals. Given the recent far-right riots in the UK, a popular theory suggests that Banksy is critiquing the wild and chaotic behavior currently being witnessed, drawing a parallel between people’s actions and wild animals in a zoo. Others see it as a commentary on climate change and the impact of urbanization on wildlife.
The pelicans appeared after the anonymous street artist, born in Bristol, revealed a howling wolf atop a building in Peckham, southeast London, the day before (Thursday, August 8). The stencil silhouette of the wolf was painted on a satellite dish, cleverly transforming it into a full moon. However, a few hours after its appearance, the artwork was removed by two masked individuals who climbed a ladder to retrieve the satellite dish. Photos shared online show a man dressed in a black hoodie, blue tracksuit bottoms, a mask, and gloves, carrying the artwork under his arm as he runs away.
Banksy’s animal saga began on Monday, August 5. The artist presented the first piece in the animal series near Kew Bridge, southwest London. The artwork, done in his characteristic stencil style, depicts a goat with rocks cascading below it. Following this initial piece, Banksy posted an image of another animal-themed artwork on his Instagram page the next day. This time in Chelsea, the artwork depicted two elephants looking at each other through obstructed windows, their trunks almost touching.
On Wednesday, three swinging monkeys appeared on a railway bridge in Brick Lane, east London. Banksy’s latest street artworks come after the Bristol artist faced criticism for a stunt at Glastonbury in June, where a replica migrant boat created by the artist surfed the crowd during performances by the punk group Idles (also from Bristol) and rapper Little Simz. The then-Home Secretary, James Cleverly, criticized the stunt for “normalizing” small boat crossings, calling the artistic action “disgraceful”.
In response to Cleverly’s comments, the artist stated that it was a “real boat” he funds – the MV Louise Michel – detained by Italian authorities after rescuing 17 unaccompanied children at sea, which he found “disgraceful and unacceptable”. The artist, whose identity remains unknown, last painted in the British capital when he sprayed green paint on a wall behind a felled tree.