Banksy confirmed authorship of a new artwork in Nottingham.
Banksy's most recent work of art was painted outside of a salon in Nottingham. Via Banksy.co.uk.
Banksy has claimed authorship of a new artwork that appeared outside of a salon in Nottingham last week. The work, which features a young girl hula-hooping stenciled in Banksy’s signature monochrome style, was speculated to be the work of the reclusive street artist, but wasn’t confirmed to be authentic until Banksy posted a picture of the work on his Instagram this past Saturday.
Paul Gough, a Banksy expert and professor at Arts University Bournemouth, told the BBC:
The last four or five [Banksy pieces] have all related to Covid or something in the news. This is much more whimsical and much more of the moment. It is someone enjoying themselves. Perhaps that is the message: 'we are in difficult times, let's try to make the most of it and get some fun out of something which is broken'. The hoop is holistic. The circle is positive and life-affirming. Even with a knackered bicycle, she is finding something she can play with.
This work is the latest in a busy year for Banksy. In May, the artist unveiled a new painting, Game Changer (2020), at the Southampton General Hospital in the United Kingdom. The painting, which will be auctioned off in order to raise funds for the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS), was the subject of an attempted theft shortly after its unveiling. This week, the artist’s riff on Claude Monet’s Giverny paintings, Show me the Monet (2005), will go on offer at Sotheby’s live-streamed “Modernités / Contemporary” auction, taking place on October 21st across the firm’s London and Paris locations.
According to Artsy data, Banksy is one of the most popular and in-demand artists on the platform: He is the second-most followed, trailing only Pablo Picasso; and his work has driven more inquiries than any other artist save one (KAWS).
