Since its appearance on the Bristol street art scene, Banksy's art has conquered the streets of London.
Today, many works are still available in the capital.
I present them to you in this article.
Banksy in London: article summary
Banksy in London: Guard Dog and His Master's Voice
These two graffiti are among Banksy's first works in the British capital. They are located in the courtyard of the Cargo nightclub in the heart of Shoreditchnow protected by Plexiglas.
This courtyard is a hub for various renowned graffiti artists, including :
- French artists C215 and Thierry Noir
- Israeli artists Broken Fingaz Crew
- Italian artist Ozmo
Banksy acknowledges Rivington Street's heritage in Designated Graffitti Area.
Guard Dog is a parody of the police and the authorities, depicting a policeman and his poodle on patrol.
Shop Till You Drop
Known as the Falling Shopper, this mural is located on Bruton Lane, on the side of a building in the West End.
The impressive mural appeared in November 2011 in broad daylight. Scaffolding and a tarpaulin were deployed to make sure no one caught the artist in the act. Today, Shop Till You Drop can still be seen.
Overlooking passers-by from more than two stories up, it depicts a woman with a full shopping cart half-falling from the top of a building.
Banksy's aim was to highlight the dangers of consumerism, a subject he often revisits in his limited edition prints.
Banksy in London: Very Little Helps
Also known as Tesco Kids, Banksy's Very Little Helps mural is located on Essex Road.
Painted in 2008 on the side of a pharmacy, the work depicts a group of three children ceremoniously pledging allegiance to the British supermarket chain Tesco, while one of them raises a Tesco bag on a flagpole.
The image is a critique of society's dependence on mass consumerism and multinational corporations. Banksy also published Very Little Helps in print in 2008.
Although it was quickly covered with Plexiglas, Very Little Helps has been vandalized several times and is currently partially damaged.
Choose Your Weapon
This mural appeared on a wall at The Grange in Bermondsey, South London, in 2010.
This is one of Banksy's best-known images of a hooded man with a barking dog on a leash, a tribute to legendary artist Keith Haring's Barking Dog.
There's a striking contrast between the cartoon-like dog and the hyper-realistic portrayal of his master.
Banksy often refers to other famous artists in his work, such as Andy Warhol in Soup Can.
Banksy in London: Bubble Slide Girl
Banksy's playful mural Bubble Slide Girl was painted on the side wall of a youth club in Hackney around February 2008.
Unfortunately, only a slight outline of this work is still visible since it was removed. The image depicts a little girl blowing bubbles and using a drainpipe as a slide.
This is an excellent example of one of Banksy's most positive works, through which he is perhaps trying to tell us that by playing and keeping a childlike, light-hearted spirit, we can always find a glimmer of hope and adapt to any difficult circumstances.
I Love Robbo Rat
I love Robbo Rat is another example of the graffiti war between Banksy and Robbo. Painted on Chiswell Street in Islington, Banksy's work depicts a stenciled ghetto rat holding a sign that originally read "London doesn't work", which he created in 2004.
Later, she received a label from Robbo, who reworked the sign and added his own.
The poster rat motif was published in various limited editions in 2004.
Banksy's rats are among his best-known and most popular pieces, whose market value has risen considerably over the years.
Banksy in London: Tox
This Banksy stencil figure appeared on Jeffrey Street in Camden in June 2011, complementing the tag by graffiti artist Daniel Halpin, aka Tox.
Tox had previously been convicted of tagging several locations in London over a three-year period, and had been described as "not Banksy" by the prosecution due to his lack of artistic creativity with his graffiti works.
In response, Banksy created a work of art depicting a little boy blowing the Tox tag like a bubble.
It's undoubtedly one of his most daring pieces, and stays true to his graffiti roots.
Banksy has been prolific in decorating the streets of London. And, just as many works of art have appeared, many have unfortunately also been lost. However, if you keep your eyes peeled, chances are you'll see a Banksy in London.
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