Elusive artist Banksy recently unveiled his latest work, returning to the London tube to share a piece encouraging people to wear masks amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The artist shared a video of himself on his Instagram page, disguised as a professional cleaner. The footage shows the artist ushering passengers away as he embellishes the carriage with his latest creation.
The work, called If You Don’t Mask, You Don’t Get, features a litany of rats donning face masks. One of the rodents appears to be sneezing, while another is shown spraying anti-bacterial gel.
The finale of the video features a little homage to anarcho-punk act Chumbawamba’s 1997 anthem ‘Tubthumping’. The words “I get lockdown” appear on the side of a station wall before a train’s doors close to reveal the words”but I get up again”.
Hours after the video was shared, Transport for London confirmed that the piece had since been removed. A spokesperson shared that Banksy’s work was removed “some days ago” because it was in violation of TfL’s “strict anti-graffiti policy.”
Despite the work being erased, the spokesperson acknowledged that TfL appreciated “the sentiment of encouraging people to wear face coverings” and that it would like to “offer Banksy the chance to do a new version of his message for our customers in a suitable location.” Narcs.
During the early years of his career, the Bristol-born artist would often spray paint rats and monkeys on to Tube trains.
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