Sixth Banksy on London billboard to be taken down
Banksy
Artwork by Banksy which showed a silhouette of a cat on an empty, distressed billboard on Edgware Road is being taken down.
The street artist posted a photo of the design on his Instagram on Saturday without any caption, the sixth in a series of animal-themed artwork over the last week.
The new work is in Cricklewood, an area in north-west London and follows his most recent artwork of pelicans appearing to take fish from a chip shop sign, which was revealed on Friday.
It has been confirmed the latest artwork is being taken down by a contractor in case someone “rips it down and leaves it unsafe”.
The billboard had been due to be taken down on Monday before the artwork was there.
The contractor, who gave his name as Marc, said the date had been brought forward.
Marc said the artwork will be brought back to their yard to see if anyone collects it.
He said: “We’ll store that bit [the artwork] in our yard to see if anyone collects it but if not it’ll go in a skip.
“I’ve been told to keep it careful in case he wants it.”
Police have taped off the path in front of the billboard.
Josette Gerlier, 79, came from Kensington to see the Banksy artwork, as she has travelled to see all the other pieces this week, except the wolf in Peckham, south London, which was removed before she could see it.
She described the removal of the billboard artwork in Cricklewood as “madness” as the contractors began.
She said: “It would be lovely to keep it, they could stop people walking on the path, but I know it’s a very busy road.
“The whole situation is madness.”
The image is one of many seen over the past week.
A stencilled image of a goat appeared in Kew on Monday while an image of two elephants touching trunks in Chelsea was revealed by the Bristol-based artist on Tuesday, although on Friday it was seen defaced with stripes.
Reuters
Three monkeys hanging from a bridge in Brick Lane drew crowds on Wednesday, and a howling wolf on a satellite dish was seen in Peckham on Thursday.
EPA
When the artwork of two pelicans appeared above the sign of a fish and chip shop in Walthamstow on Friday, one resident told BBC News: “It’s genuinely really exciting.
“A friend messaged me early this morning telling me it’s appeared on my street so we arranged to come down as soon as we could.
“It’s so fun and wholesome – that’s what’s really nice to see.”
PA Media
She believed the location, Bonners Fish Bar, was significant.
“It’s a bit of an icon of the area, so I’m sure that’s why it’s been chosen,” she said.
“It’s been here a long time and it’s well loved.”
PA
Thursday’s stencil of a wolf on a satellite dish in Rye Lane, Peckham, was taken down from on top of a building within hours of it being revealed.
Reuters
A video was filmed showing two people removing it and carrying it off down the street.
The Banksy press team told the BBC they “believed” it had been stolen.
PA Media
A statement from the Metropolitan Police said it had received reports the dish had been stolen, and said there had been “no arrests” and “inquiries continue”.
PA Media
The Banksy press team declined to comment about the possible meaning behind the series of stencils in London.
