The meaning behind Banksy’s latest series of artworks was revealed today, as the elusive artist unveiled his latest animal creation: a black cat.
Crowds have been flocking to see the artwork throughout the morning, including one man who was filmed trying to get a closer look at it after it was unveiled.
A passerby captured the moment the fan appeared to be using a hammer to remove some of the surrounding rotten wood, before looking at the viewer, laughing and walking away when he realised he was being filmed.
It is unclear whether the man is part of Banksy’s team or a worker tasked with trying to make the sign look more attractive and prevent the crumbling wood from falling down.
The black silhouette of a big cat stretching out on an abandoned sign appeared in Cricklewood, north London, overnight.
This comes after previous murals unveiled this week consisted of a goat, two elephants, three monkeys, a lone wolf on a satellite dish and two pelicans.
Now, the anonymous graffiti artist has revealed he’s been leaving animal murals all over London to help spread a little happiness, during a bleak period in the UK.
Do you know the man in the video? Get in touch at lettice.bromovsky@mailonline.co.uk
A man has already been spotted trying to get his hands on 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 under the sheet of wood and steal the undoubtedly valuable piece of art.
Banksy revealed his sixth piece of art in as many days on his Instagram page today at 1pm, but within an hour an opportunist was caught red-handed trying to remove it from the wall.
All the places where Banksy has left an animal mural in the last week
This comes after previous murals revealed this week consisted of a goat, two elephants, three monkeys and a lone wolf on a satellite dish and two pelicans.
Fresh paint was detected on some nearby branches.
The Guardian reported that Banksy had been attempting to create “moments of unexpected fun, as well as gently underlining the human capacity for creative play, rather than destruction and negativity.”
He also stated that a seventh mural will soon appear in another surprise location, so eagle-eyed fans should keep an eye out.
The first graffiti in the series, which he shared on his Instagram account on Monday, showed a goat teetering on a ledge with rocks falling beneath it, just above where a CCTV camera was pointed.
The same lifting platform was seen in the early hours of Monday at the spot where the goat mural was being painted. It is located near Kew Bridge, south-west London, on the wall of engineering firm Boss & Co, which makes exclusive weapons.
Banksy on Monday posted an artwork of a goat perched on top of a wall near Kew Bridge in Richmond.
Another new piece of art, confirmed to be by Banksy, was unveiled on a wall of a house in Chelsea, London, this week.
The mural is located above Bonners Fish Bar on Northcote Road. It is inspired by 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 towards each other on the side of a building near Chelsea.
Next up was a trio of monkeys appearing to be swinging under a bridge over Brick Lane, near a vintage clothing store and cafe on the popular east London market street, not far from Shoreditch High Street.
Primates have been associated with the Japanese proverb “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” But in Banksy’s work, the monkeys do not cover their eyes, ears or mouths.
His fourth artwork, which appeared yesterday in south-east London and depicts a lone wolf howling at a satellite dish, appears to have been stolen within minutes.
The striking painting of the canine howling towards the night sky appeared overnight on top of a former Betfred store in Rye Lane, Peckham.
The artwork depicting the silhouette of a howling wolf has 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 wearing a mask holding the satellite dish while standing on top of the building.
A video has emerged showing the shocking moment the artwork was dismantled before being moved.
The group of hooded men wearing masks and gloves were seen climbing the building, removing the satellite dish and walking away.
The apparent theft is reminiscent of a similar incident last year, when another Banksy work – a traffic stop sign featuring three military drones – was also stolen.
So far, Banksy has been confirming pieces as his own with posts at 1:00 pm on his Instagram page.
The most recent Google Street View view, from June 2022, shows the billboard used for a tool company’s advertisement.
Banksy’s team has been contacted for comment.