Banksy Responds After James Cleverly Brands His Glastonbury Stunt ‘Vile And Unacceptable’

Posted on 04/07/2024 by Boris Clair

Banksy has issued a response to home secretary James Cleverly’s claim that his recent stunt at Glastonbury was “vile and unacceptable”.

During a performance by Idles at the music event on Friday night, an inflatable boat filled with dummies wearing orange life jackets, intended to represent refugees trying to pass through treacherous seas, was passed out to the crowd.

The band had initially been unaware of the stunt that was carried out during their song Danny Nedelko, which opens with the lines: “My blood brother is an immigrant. A beautiful immigrant.”

An Idles spokesperson later confirmed the boat was, indeed, a Banksy piece.

According to a photo shared on X by Glastonbury Live, the boat also returned to the crowd for Little Simz’s set on the Pyramid Stage the following day.

The stunt was met with condemnation from the Home Secretary, who told Sky News: “People die in the Mediterranean, they die on the Channel. This is not funny. It is vile. This is a celebration of the loss of life in the Channel.”

He added: “To joke about it, to celebrate it at a pop festival when there have been children dying in the Channel, is completely unacceptable.”

Now, the anonymous street artist has responded to Cleverly’s comments on Instagram.

“The home secretary called my Glastonbury boat vile and unacceptable’ which seemed a bit over the top,” Banksy wrote.

“The real boat I fund, the MV Louise Michel rescued 17 unaccompanied children from the central Med on Monday night.

“As punishment the Italian authorities have detained it – which seems vile and unacceptable to me.”

The MV Louise Michel, provides life-saving support to those in distress crossing the Mediterranean, and was purchased with the proceeds from the sale of Banksy artwork.

Banksy’s Glastonbury stunt comes after he returned with his first art instalment of 2024 back in March.

The mural featured a stencil of a woman who had sprayed green paint over a white wall behind a pollarded tree, which gave the illusion of leaves.

Last year, he also unveiled a divisive new piece of street artwork centring around domestic violence against women.

Banksy Unveils Powerful New Valentine’s Day Artwork Themed Around Violence Against Women

Posted on 14/02/2023 by Boris Clair

Banksy has revealed he was behind a powerful new piece of street artwork which centres around domestic violence against women.

The mural in question appeared recently in Margate, Kent, depicting a traditional 1950s housewife with a swollen eye and missing tooth.

In the piece – which is seemingly titled Valentine’s Day Mascara – the abused female figure is shown pushing her husband into a freezer, which sits in front of the wall art.

Posting a photo of his latest creation on his Instagram page, the anonymous street artist zoomed in twice to show a close-up of the woman’s smiling face.

A new artwork by street artist Banksy, titled 'Valentine's Day Mascara' on the side of a building in Margate, Kent. — A new artwork by street artist Banksy, titled ‘Valentine’s Day Mascara’ on the side of a building in Margate, Kent.

The piece also features a variety of rubbish on the ground in front of the artwork, including a broken white garden chair, a blue crate and an empty beer bottle.

It is set on a white wall backdrop, with users online speculating it is off Grosvenor Place in the seaside Kent town.

Comments about the post have suggested the Bristol-born artist is referencing fighting violence against women on Valentine’s Day.

Undated handout file photo of one of the new works by Banksy, appears to show a 1950's housewife, wearing a classic blue pinny and yellow washing up gloves, with a swollen eye and a missing tooth seemingly shoving her male partner into a chest freezer, the piece is set on a white wall backdrop in Kent. Issue date: Tuesday February 14, 2023. — Undated handout file photo of one of the new works by Banksy, appears to show a 1950’s housewife, wearing a classic blue pinny and yellow washing up gloves, with a swollen eye and a missing tooth seemingly shoving her male partner into a chest freezer, the piece is set on a white wall backdrop in Kent. Issue date: Tuesday February 14, 2023.

In December, the elusive graffiti artist announced they had created 50 screenprints which would be sold to raise funds for a charity supporting the people of Ukraine.

Banksy previously confirmed they had spent time in Ukraine after posting a video of an artist spray-painting designs in the war-torn country and speaking to locals.

The artist has managed to conceal his identity despite his work’s popularity, with former Art Attack favourite Neil Buchanan being forced to issue a statement insisting that he is not Bansky back in September 2020.

Help and support:

If you, or someone you know, is in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you are not in immediate danger, you can contact:

The Freephone 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline, run by Refuge: 0808 2000 247
In Scotland, contact Scotland’s 24 hour Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline: 0800 027 1234
In Northern Ireland, contact the 24 hour Domestic & Sexual Violence Helpline: 0808 802 1414
In Wales, contact the 24 hour Life Fear Free Helpline on 0808 80 10 800.
National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0800 999 5428
Men’s Advice Line: 0808 801 0327
Respect helpline (for anyone worried about their own behaviour): 0808 802 0321

New Banksy Artwork Defaced In ‘Selfish And Mindless Way’

Posted on 15/08/2021 by Boris Clair

A local council has said it is “appalled” that a new Banksy artwork that had brought excitement to a seaside town has been defaced.

The elusive artist famed for his street art recently paid a visit to Lowestoft, leaving behind a painting of a rat sitting on a deckchair.

But residents in the Suffolk town awoke on Sunday to the news that the new attraction had been daubed with white paint.

In a statement, East Suffolk Council said: “We are naturally appalled that someone has chosen to behave in such a selfish and mindless way given how excited we all are by the appearance of these works here on the east coast.

“We are, however, hopeful that this particular work can be restored, and are engaging with specialists.”

The council said that prior to the rat art being confirmed as a genuine Banksy it had placed an order for protective materials to safeguard the piece.

It added: “In the interim, we have also employed security patrols to visit each site and on this occasion, our patrols actually interrupted the individual defacing this work and prevented any further damage occurring.

“We are very grateful for the huge goodwill of local people who are proud of these artworks, but we would kindly ask people not to try and repair the works themselves and to please leave this to professional restorers.”

Banksy’s Ex-Dealer Lifts The Lid On Iconic Blur Cover With Never-Before-Seen Photos

Posted on 12/09/2020 by Boris Clair

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