Banksy — the British graffiti artist known best for his modern work exploring state-sanctioned violence, migration and rejection of the monarchy — is back again, and this time he’s on his holidays. Spray painted images started to appear around Lowestoft, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, Cromer and King’s Lynn over the past few weeks, with some speculating Banksy was behind them. In a video posted to Instagram over the weekend, the anonymous artist confirmed it, with some behind-the-scenes footage of their creation and the running commentary of plenty of unhappy locals. The collection is called A Great British Spraycation.
What are the artworks like? Well, in one mural, Banksy has painted a gigantic seagull looming over a real skip with planks of wood spilling from it, as if he’s plucking chips from an unsuspecting beach reveller. In another, a girl flies off into the distance on a blow-up boat like she’s riding a balloon. There’s also an allusion to the 20th century music halls of these once-glitzy towns, with an old-school couple appearing to dance atop a bus stop.
Others depict a kid making a sandcastle among the cracked rubble of a high street and a claw hovering over a bench, as if it’s about to pick up an unsuspecting passer by like a cuddly toy.
It’s a more playful, old school side to Banksy’s usually staunchly political work; particularly in recent years, during which he’s veered towards wealth inequality and the refugee crisis. There are a couple of pieces that allude to it here: in one mural painted on a sea barrier, hermit crabs carry a protest sign with the phrase “Luxury rentals only”. Another, painted on an old brick wall, sees what could be construed as child refugees dressed as sailors, paired with the phrase ‘We’re all in the same boat’.
Already, some of the pieces have been covered up or vandalised. The girl on the blow-up boat mural has been painted over by Great Yarmouth Council, who feared it may trigger locals affected by the death of a girl on an inflatable trampoline in 2018. They said in a statement: “We thank Banksy for all the wonderful artwork and fully appreciate these circumstances would not have been known by the artist.”
In Lowestoft, a mural of a rat sipping a cocktail on a deckchair was painted over just hours after Banksy revealed he was responsible for it, with the perpetrator getting caught in the act by patrolling beach officers.
For now, local councils are trying their best to protect the Banksy artworks that pepper the streets and beaches of their towns and cities. If you’re not due an English coastal art tour this summer, no fret. Watch Banksy’s A Great British Spraycation video below.