Locals boo as Banksy's new cat artwork is 'taken down' (2024)

A new Banksy artwork has been taken down by hired contractors just hours after it appeared on a billboard in London - to the boos of locals.

The black silhouette of a large cat stretching appeared on abandoned signage in Cricklewood, northLondonovernight - with the artist confirming he was behind it with an Instagram post, as is his normal style.

But hours later, men who said they were 'hired' from a 'contracting company' turned up in Cricklewood to take the hoarding down for safety reasons.

A contractor, who only wanted to give his name as Marc, said they were going to pull the boarding down on Monday and replace it, but the removal had been brought forward to Saturday in case someone 'rips it down and leaves it unsafe'.

He told the PA news agency: '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.'

They arrived hours after a man, named locally as Richard, by was seen appearing to make an attempt at prising the artwork from the hoarding. And that came after an earlier artwork in the animal-themed series was nicked by joyless thugs.

Do YOU know the man in the video? Get in touch at jon.brady@mailonline.co.uk

Contractors taking down Banksy's latest artwork - a silhouette of a cat on a billboard in Cricklewood

The artwork was removed, contractors say, to stop it from being stolen - after a man was filmed apparently trying to prise it from the wall

The artwork appeared to show the cat digging its claws into a tired piece of the abandoned billboard in north London

A man has already been spotted trying to nab Banksy's latest artwork, less than an hour after it was unveiled

A passerby managed to capture the moment on camera, as the man appeared to be using a hammer to get underneath the sheet of wood and make off with the undoubtedly valuable artwork

Banksy revealed his sixth artwork in as many days on his Instagram page today at 1pm, but within the hour an opportunist was caught red handed trying to pry it off the wall

Fresh paint spotted on some nearby branches - perhaps indicating the pace at which the elusive artist worked

A passerby captured the moment the fan appeared to be using a hammer to chip away some of the surrounding rotting wood, before eyeing the onlooker and laughing and walking away when he realised he was being filmed.

One onlooker said: 'He was hacking away for a few minutes before a number of people began shouting at him.

'I don't know how he thought he could get away with it because it was the middle of the day, around the time Banksy confirmed the artwork was his.'

Police taped off the path in front of the hoarding as about 50 people gathered to take pictures.

Some Cricklewood locals lamented the decision to remove the artwork in order to keep it safe.

Read More Has brilliant Banksy become predictable? Scepticism grows over revered artist's latest collection of works

Lia Colacicco, 67, told the PA news agency she offered to look after the Banksy artwork for the owners of the billboard once it was taken down.

Ms Colacicco and two other members of the North West Two Residents Association watched as contractors started to remove it.

Ben Tansley, 71, said: 'If it wasn't guarded overnight somebody would take it. It's such a shame. There were people here this morning before it was on Instagram.'

Carol Reeman, 64, said: 'This is Cricklewood, this is our Banksy. You can't even enjoy it for the whole day before someone wanted to take it down.

'You would wait for a lifetime for a Banksy to come into our neighbourhood. Cricklewood's on the map.'

But the owner of a billboard which is now home to a Banksy artwork has told police he will donate it to an art gallery, an officer at the scene told the PA news agency.

A black board was used to cover the majority of the cat on the billboard at the request of the police, who wanted to stop people walking in the road in front of traffic. Onlookers booed the contractors as they removed the work on Saturday.

It comes after earlier murals unveiled this week consisted of a goat, two elephants, three monkeys, a lone wolf on a satellite dish and two pelicans.

The artist’s recent blitz of animal art across the capital has sent fans into a tailspin of speculation about what message lies behind the images.

Now the anonymous tagger has revealed that he has been leaving the animal murals across London to help spread a bit of happiness, during a bleak period in the UK.

It comes after earlier murals unveiled this week consisted of a goat, two elephants, three monkeys and a lone wolf on a satellite dish and two pelicans

Police had to ask people to keep off of the road as they tried to take pictures of the artwork

The Guardian reported that Banksy had been trying create 'moments of unexpected amusement, as well as to gently underline the human capacity for creative play, rather than for destruction and negativity.'

It also claimed that a seventh mural will be popping up in another surprise location soon, so eagle-eyed fans should keep their eyes peeled.

The first piece of graffiti in the series, which he shared on his Instagram account on Monday, showed a goat teetering on a ledge with rocks falling down below it - just above where a CCTV camera was pointed.

The same cherry picker was spotted in the early hours of Monday where the goat mural was being painted.

It is located near Kew Bridge, southwest London, on the wall of engineering firm Boss & Co, which builds exclusive guns.

Banksy posted artwork of a goat perched on top of a wall near Kew Bridge in Richmond on Monday

Another new artwork, confirmed to be by Banksy, was unveiled on a wall of a house in Chelsea, London this week

The mural sits above Bonners Fish Bar, on Northcote Road. It is based on a quiet residential street in east London

The next day, the artist added another design to the collection: silhouettes of two elephants with their trunks stretched toward each other on the side of a building near Chelsea.

This was followed by a trio of monkeys looking as though they were swinging from underneath a bridge over Brick Lane, near a vintage clothing shop and a coffee house in the popular East London market street - not far from Shoreditch High Street.

The primates have been associated with the Japanese proverb 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil'. But in Banksy's work the monkeys are not covering their eyes, ears or mouths.

His fourth artwork which appeared in southeast London yesterday - depicting a howling lone wolf on a satellite dish - appeared to have been stolen within minutes.

The striking painting of the canine howling into the night sky appeared overnight on top of a former Betfred shop on Rye Lane, Peckham.

Footage emerged showing the shocking moment the artwork was dismantled before being carried away.

The group of hooded men wearing facemasks and gloves were spotted scaling the building, removing the satellite dish, and walking off.

The artwork showing the silhouette of a wolf howling appeared on a rooftop in Peckham. It is the latest piece in a series of murals that have been unveiled this week

A hooded man with a mask holding the satellite dish while stood on top of the building

The apparent theft rings echoes of a similar incident last year where another piece by Banksy - a traffic stop sign with three military drones - was also taken.

So far Banksy has been confirming pieces as his with 1pm posts on his Instagram page.

The most recent Google Street View - from June 2022 - shows the billboard being used for a tool company advert.

Banksy's team has been approached for comment.

The artist is one of the most elusive creatives in the world and has managed to avoid completely revealing his identity.

In 2008, The Mail on Sunday reported that he is Robin Gunningham, who was born in Yate, near Bristol - the city where the artist first made his name.

Locals boo as Banksy's new cat artwork is 'taken down' (2024)

FAQs

Why was Banksy's cat removed? ›

The piece by the elusive street artist was dismantled by three men who said they were “hired” by a “contracting company” to take down the billboard for safety reasons. Located in Cricklewood, the artwork depicted a dark silhouette of a large cat with an upturned tail stretching out its body.

Why was Banksy mural removed? ›

More Stories by Karen K. Banksy's new mural about domestic violence, Valentine's Day Mascara, has been dismantled for a second time by local officials in a coastal British town over security and preservation concerns.

What is Banksy's real identity? ›

The Mail on Sunday claimed in 2008 that Banksy is Robin Gunningham, born on 28 July 1974 in Yate, 12 miles (19 km) from Bristol.

What do people think of Banksy's art? ›

Further proof of how Banksy can be compared to some of the great established contemporary artists such as Warhol & Lichtenstein is 66% of respondents said Banksy's artwork is “complex and deeply emotive”. It seems Banksy is proof that real art does not always have to be ambiguous and difficult.

What happened to Banksy Balloon Girl? ›

The piece ultimately fetched a record £16 million (£18.5 million or $25.3 million with fees). After the sale, the work was retitled Girl Without Balloon and given a new date of 2021. It is unclear whether a new certificate of authentication was created. “There was physically only one work.

What do the Banksy animals mean? ›

Since the final piece was revealed, however, he believes there is a theme of "incarceration; animals being trapped" in the series. PA Media. The last in the series shows a gorilla enabling the "grand great escape" which explains why there were animals all over London, says Banksy expert James Peak.

Why was Banksy expelled? ›

Why did Banksy start graffiti? In his conversation with Hattenstone, Banksy said he got into graffiti as a preteen. He was unhappy in school, was eventually expelled, and spent some time in prison for “petty crime.” Graffiti, he said, gave him a voice and helped with his own self-image.

What was the latest Banksy demolished? ›

The site of Banksy's latest work, an outside wall of a derelict farmhouse in the seaside town of Herne Bay in Kent, has been demolished. The mural, titled Morning is Broken, depicted a silhouetted young boy – next to a silhouetted cat in a window – opening corrugated iron “curtains”.

Has Banksy been censored? ›

Banksy has struck again – but a council in the east of England has struck back, removing his artwork that it said contained “offensive and racist remarks”.

Did Banksy have a wife? ›

How rich is Banksy? ›

2022: Banksy's net worth reaches an estimated $50 million (£39.6 million), reflecting his enduring influence and commercial success in the art world.

Is Banksy still anonymous? ›

Banksy the Artist. Banksy is not a completely mysterious figure. While he has continued to remain anonymous throughout his career, that has not stopped him from giving veiled interviews or speaking through his associates.

Is Banksy's art real? ›

Of the 150 works on display, 34 are certified originals — the private collection of Mr Gurkaynak and his partner. It can be hard to tell if you are viewing a reproduction or not. For Mr Gurkaynak, authenticity is beside the point — real or replica, each work's ability to provoke thought is what matters.

Is Banksy's art worth anything? ›

Subscribe. Banksy? The average value of Banksy's artwork has experienced a 26% compound annual growth rate over the last 5 years, with signed limited edition Banksy prints selling for anywhere between £3000 and £882,000 at auction in 2022.

What is Banksy's famous quote? ›

The greatest crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules but by people following the rules.

Has Banksy ever showed his face? ›

Did Banksy Ever Show His Face? Banksy's real identity remains a mystery, but there have been a few instances when he was almost unmasked.

Did Banksy get expelled from school? ›

The aspiring creator was born in Bristol in 1974, and is said to have been a pupil at Bristol Cathedral School and also to have attended St Brendan's Sixth Form College. They began as an artist at the age of 14, and was expelled from school and served time in prison for a petty crime.

Is Banksy faceless? ›

While it is true that part of his fame derives from the mystery that the artist has always left behind, from the still unresolved curiosity about who hides behind the pseudonym Banksy and his irreverent performances, it is equally true that it does not take a face to communicate.

What happened with Banksy painting? ›

The bottom half of the painting was cut into strips, but it stopped shredding in time for the heart-shaped balloon to remain visible. As stunned auction-goers looked on and could barely believe what was happening, the moment became “instant art world history”.

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