It is a goat perched atop a thin wall, with rocks tumbling down signifying the animal’s perilous position. And it’s a Banksy.
The meaning behind the street artist’s latest contribution to the London art scene will undoubtedly be earnestly debated, though it’s doubtful it is the secretive Banksy declaring himself greatest of all time.
The goat silhouette, with rocks falling beneath it and a CCTV pointed at it, is in his inimitable stencil-style and has appeared on a wall near Kew Bridge in Richmond, south-west London. Confirmation it is the genuine article by the guerilla artist known for his political messaging came with a post of the image on his Instagram page.
It is believed to be his first public work since a stunt at Glastonbury in June when a migrant boat created by the artist was crowd-surfed during performances by Bristol indie punk band Idles and rapper Little Simz.
The stunt was described by then home secretary James Cleverly as “trivialising” small boats crossings and “vile”, but the artist responded saying his reaction was a “a bit over the top”.
The Bristol-based artist said it was the real boat he funded being detained by Italian authorities, after it had rescued unaccompanied children at sea, that he deemed “vile and unacceptable”.
In March, the artist created a tree mural in Finsbury Park, north London, with green paint sprayed on a wall behind a cut-back tree to give the impression of foliage, and a stencil of a person holding a pressure hose next to it. The vivid paint colour matched that used by Islington council for street signs in the area.
Banksy is internationally renowned for his trademark art in public spaces, including on walls in London, Brighton, Bristol and on the West Bank barrier separating Israelis and Palestinians. Celebrity collectors are said to include Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Christina Aguilera.
