PATwo new murals by the popular and elusive street artist Banksy have appeared in central London.
The new artworks have appeared on a tunnel close to the Barbican Centre which is hosting a new exhibition celebrating the work of American painter Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Basquiat, a graffiti artist turned world famous painter from New York, died of a suspected drug overdose in 1988.
On Instagram, Banksy has described the murals as an ‘unofficial collaboration’ with the Barbican Centre.
The first work is an image of people queuing up to ride a Ferris wheel which has Basquiat’s crown-shaped carriages.
It was accompanied by the caption:
Major new Basquiat show opens at the Barbican – a place that is normally very keen to clean any graffiti from its walls.
Seemingly a subtle dig at the apparent hypocrisy of the Barbican’s exhibition, people on social media are already arguing about what else the work could possibly mean.
The second mural is a portrait of Basquiat being frisked by Metropolitan Police officers as he is ‘welcomed’ to London.
Is this a comment on how Basquiat, arguably the most famous black American visual artist, would be treated today by the police?
Mysterious as ever, Banksy continually proves he is the king when it comes to street art.
