Banksy unveils latest piece in ‘London Zoo’ exhibit
After a tireless week of creating artwork across England’s capital, it seems as though Bristolian street artist Banksy is not yet finished with his ‘London Zoo’ exhibit, which began on August 5th.
The series first began with a stencil painting of a goat on a ledge on Kew Bridge has seen the artist travel all across the city, completing eight unique artworks in as many days. The latest piece depicts a rhinoceros mounting a car on Westmoor Street in Charlton.
Showing a colossal rhino hunched over a, presumably abandoned, second-generation silver Nissan Micra, the work continues Banksy’s use of painting coupled with real-life settings. The Micra also has a traffic cone on its bonnet, meant to replicate the horn of a rhino and the rear suspension has been removed so the painted rhino looks as if it is weighing the back end of the car down.
The revelation of the rhino painting has put an end to the theories that Banksy’s ‘London Zoo’ exhibit would only last one week. Previously, the Bristolian artist has completed month-long residencies in places like New York City, therefore, perhaps there are many more animal-themed paintings coming down the pipeline.
Thus far, the vast majority of the ‘London Zoo’ exhibit has been limited to monochrome stencil paintings, which is the style most associated with Banksy’s work. However, the seventh work—unveiled on August 11th—employed a more multimedia approach. At a sentry box in Ludgate Hill, the anonymous artist covered the Police box in piranhas, giving the impression of an aquarium in the middle of the street.
While the exhibit has caused a lot of excitement for art fans both in London and further afield, much of the art has already been removed. One piece, showing a howling wolf painting on a satellite dish in Peckham, was stolen mere hours after it was first completed. Another work, showing a stretching cat on an empty advertising billboard on Edgware Road, was removed shortly after the street artist took credit for the work.
In contrast, local officials in places like Ludgate Hill have affirmed their commitment to preserving the artwork. At the time of writing, the newly unveiled rhino piece has remained intact, though the fact that it has been painted onto a wall rather than a removable billboard or satellite dish gives hope that it will remain for some time—though the same cannot be said for the car.
The press team for Banksy has shied away from suggesting any deep meaning behind the ‘London Zoo’ exhibit, with The Observer reporting, “The artist’s vision is simple: the latest street art has been designed to cheer up the public during a period when the news headlines have been bleak, and light has often been harder to spot than shade.”
