Has Banksy been leaving new artworks all over East Anglia?

Virgin Radio

10 Aug 2021, 10:58

A whole bunch of artworks are cropping up in various locations on England’s east coast, causing locals to wonder if the mysterious artist Bansky is on his summer holidays in East Anglia.

So far, eight new pieces of street art have been spotted in the area and, whilst Banksy has not said that he’s responsible for them, they have the hallmarks of coming from the spray can of the world’s most famous anonymous artist.

The new works have appeared in Lowestoft, Oulton Broad, Great Yarmouth, Gorleston, and Cromer, displaying invention, wit and humour synonymous with Banksy. 

In one (pictured, above), which was discovered in Nicholas Everitt Park, Oulton Broad, three children are stenciled next to a boat made from corrugated metal, one of whom is looking through a telescope. Another child appears to be bailing out the water using a bucket. The wording "We're all in the same boat" appears in capital letters next to them. The boat structure has since been removed by Oulton Broad Parish Council, as it was apparently blocking a drain and, with all of the rain that has hit the UK over the past few days, there were concerns about flooding. However, according to the BBC, a spokeswoman has said it will be replaced.

Possibly the most visually striking of the new ‘Banksys’ is in Katwijk Way, Lowestoft. Emblazoned on the side of a house, it shows a gull swooping down to steal some chips. As with the boat, the skip is not stencilled on but is an actual skip, and the massive chips are made from pieces of insulation material.

Another stunning image can be seen in Admiralty Road, Great Yarmouth, where [possibly] Bansky has created the image of three people on top of a bus shelter. Two of them are having a lovely old dance, while the third person is sitting, playing an accordion.

Other new pieces of street art which are being assumed to be the work of Banksy are an image of a child holding a crowbar next to a sandcastle and a dislodged paving slab in Lowestoft, and a rat chilling in a deckchair drinking a cocktail. At Cromer, a mural has appeared, showing a group of hermit crabs with a sign saying “Luxury rentals only.”

On the seafront at Gorleston, Norfolk, an image of an arcade-style grabber looks ready to pick people off the bench below. At Merrivale Model Village, Great Yarmouth, a new thatched cottage model has mysteriously sprung up, adorned with Banksy's name and a tagline: “Go big or go home” and a rat on a wheel.

Whether Banksy owns up to these new pieces of art remains to be seen. For the time-being though, locals will definitely be keeping their eyes peeled for more inventive stencils in the area!