Recent Banksy mural destroyed as old farmhouse demolished
A derelict farmhouse has been demolished in the coastal town of Herne Bay in Kent, destroying the recent work of street artist Banksy.
The artwork was a mural entitled ‘Morning is Broken’, which depicted a silhouette of a little boy with his tiny cat next to him as he opened the corrugated iron “curtains” on the side of the house. The anonymous artist confirmed that the work was his in a post on their Instagram account.
Three photographs were shared in the post, including the artwork shown in a full-length image of the farmhouse, which had been covered in ivy and had several slates missing from its roof, as well as peeling paintwork. It was accompanied by a closeup of the artwork and another picture showing the demolition work.
The site of the farmhouse is said to be available for new homes to be built, and demolition work began on Tuesday, March 14th. Contractor George Caudwell told KentOnline, “We had no idea it was a Banksy. It made me feel sick, realising it was a Banksy – we were gutted. We started demolishing it yesterday. The landowner watched us do it and didn’t know either.”
The destruction of ‘Morning is Broken’ comes just a month after another Banksy artwork was toyed with in the Kentish seaside town of Margate. The mural is titled ‘Valentine’s Day Mascara’ and comments on the theme of domestic abuse and violence against women.
It features a 1950s housewife who looks beaten up, pushing her husband into a freezer. After the real freezer of the artwork was removed twice, it was moved to the Dreamland theme park, where it hopefully remains safe and “accessible to all those who want to come and enjoy it”.
