A piece of art which appeared on the wall of a property in Margate this week has been confirmed as the work of street artist and political activist Banksy.
The painting, which is in Park Place (rear of Grosvenor Place, near Margate fire station), is a comment on domestic violence and shows a 50s-style housewife suffering a swollen shut eye, shoving, presumably, her husband into a dumped chest freezer.
The art work has now appeared on the Banksy Instagram account with the title Valentine’s Day Mascara.
It is proving a draw for curious residents who have been to see the work – which has a different chair by the freezer- and artist Pete Brown who has been capturing the scene on canvas.
Banksy’s stencils feature striking and, often darkly humorous, images occasionally combined with slogans. The message is usually anti-war, anti-capitalist or anti-establishment.
He displays his art on publicly visible surfaces such as walls and self-built physical prop pieces. His work has appeared at locations world-wide.
The works are highly valuable with several selling for millions of pounds.
This isn’t Banksy’s first visit to Margate. In November 2013 he visited an open day at Dreamland arranged by people including Thanet artist Dan Thompson to mark the park’s move to public ownership.
He left a tag on the park comment wall which is now owned by the Dreamland Heritage Trust.
In 2015 he went on to create art project Dismaland in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset.
A Brexit comment piece by the artist painted in Dover in 2017 depicted a man on a ladder chipping away at one of the EU flag stars. Sadly, this was painted over.
Don’t suffer in silence – get help
Find help information from Oasis Domestic Abuse service at http://www.oasisdaservice.org/get-help-now and click the ‘exit now’ button to erase all traces from your Internet history.
Call Kent Domestic Abuse Services Victim Support on 0808 168 9276
The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is run by Refuge and offers free, confidential support 24 hours a day to victims and those who are worried about friends and loved ones. Telephone: 0808 2000 247
The Men’s Advice Line is a confidential helpline for male victims of domestic abuse and those supporting them.
Call 0808 801 0327.
I like it but what is a fridge freezer doing in alleyway and how long has it been there.
It is the latest Emin work of art.
Fantastic art this will bring more tourists in summer which will help the town 😀
Please stop calling it art its graffiti the same as any other graffiti in thanet.
Just because the arty sector like his graffiti it doesnt make it right.
Banksy has broken the law and when he is found should be fined and made to clear it of.
Theres clearly one law for graffiti artist called banksy and one rule for a graffiti artist called joe blogs
And some one defacing property is art how?
It’s going to bloody silly when TDC remove the fridge. Or was that put their by banksy ? And now the fridge will stay their forever as its part of a banksy. Great lol
Does seem odd that Banksy just happened to know there was a fly-tipped fridge in Thanet, that he could draw this on the wall next to.
Well thanks for clarifying what Art is for everybody. I guess it’s whatever you decide is palatable.
Whose wall is it on ?
££££££££££££££
even though its graffiti , i still think its 100% better than our ms emins efforts ?
Me too!
…but she can still sell it for millions. Do you think she cares what we think of it?
I love it, but it needs protecting quickly, before it gets tagged on itself. Just so you know, I spoke to one of the artists who did one of the conservation murals in Margates Rise Up, Clean Up. He feels that all and any graffiti is ‘art’. Some of it is clearly clever (like a Banksy or Smug), but I know that some of it just looks like vandalism. What do you think?
Vandalism unless its on a wall with permission, clean it off, fine him
If Banksy wants things to last, then perhaps he should use canvas and put his work in a gallery.
He’s a graffiti artist, so it wouldn’t quite be the same. The clues in the name of the genre.
Then destroying it is a risk he has to take.
Its simple if the ‘artist’ has got permission its graffiti.
As for the ‘artist’ saying all graffiti is art perhaps say more about the ‘artist’ moral standards that he/she thinks it’s ok to paint on my house.
Your first sentence contradicts your previous statement.
Perhaps the fact that your house hasn’t been ‘graffitied’ speaks volumes about the standard of your house.
Amazing.
A beautiful piece.
Stunning and brave.
No doubt lost on many of the local knuckle draggers.
They want to concrete over Thanet and have it as an airport.
No jobs just freight machines doing all the work.
British education system? Sounds a good idea.
Knowledge is power.
I knew you’d love it, Not Intelligent.
Like your new self aware sign off Peter
Grate, innit?!
* hasnt*
Get your apostrophes sorted. *hasn’t*
It is seriously worrying just how many people think it’s ok to paint on other people’s properties. Give your heads a wobble !
Ugh! I feel for whoever lives on the other side of the wall with all the unwanted pestering knocking at their door! Pretty rehashed really, could have mirrored it with a polar opposite (man who has been emotionally and physically beaten). Personally i would have drawn the word Thanet on the freezer (a bin better) with DFLs, EUs, homeless and other poor or disillusioned sods being cramped in by some never stopping crushing machine with a foreground of tree stumps, piles of dead birds and other wildlife strewn about. Now that would be a political statement!
Brilliant.
How long before the TDC covers it over, or does it lend credents to the arty farty town they’re trying to turn it into ?
Any luvvie who paints on a wall is feted, anybody else is prosecuted for vandalism if they are found.
If it’s a genuine Banksy, and it’s on your wall, would you object??
Makes me think of those cavemen thousands of years ago. Did they check who owned the walls of the cave before they sketched all those animals and birds? Probably not.
So should we paint over them?
Of course i would, its vandalism, hes not really an amazing artist he uses stencils, not real skill involved
At last, someone that realises that there isn’t much skill involved.
What a lot of miserable b***ers commenting on here. I like it and think it should stay. I certainly wouldn’t object if it was on my property.
Not everybody wants random things on their home.
We have a batch of resident posters that a snowflakes. Ready to be angry and offended at everything. This sort of thing attracts their venom.
Especially as it highlights domestic violence.
It all the triggers for their fragile male egos.
They have to ooze toxicity over everything.
It’s their age and their education you can’t really blame them, just pity them.
Says someone who hides their name, colour, age and gender from others. Don’t forget, I KNOW who you are, honey bun!
You wish you knew me.
I get that a lot.
You amuse me. You think you annoy me but you don’t.
How’s the “ignoring my posts” coming along?
We all know your cowardly type. You’d never cope out there in the real world with real people.
Like me.
Endorsing murdering men is feminine toxicity.
Wonderful statement, end of the day its vandalism, and if your avergae joe got caught spray painting they would be fined and told to clean it off, but no its a Banksy, so hes above the law is he
I like it and hope it’s stays. Nice one, Banksy!
Should read ‘Hope it stays’. Sorry!
I love all the snowflakes melting over this. Brilliant.
Offended and outraged at everything.
I do actually like banksy stuff.
But it’s the double standards I dont like. Its not graffiti if it’s done by banksy its art. If I do it its graffiti why is that ? I can do stencils.
Love the reactions from the snowflakes. Nothing better do do with their time than moan. Bitter, jealous, hateful, righteous snowflakes. Well done Banksy!!!
Is Banksy a franchise or an individual?
If he is an individual,how does he manage to complete all these wall sprays,without anybody ever seeing him?
You can do all kinds of things in plain sight, especially if you’ve got a fluoro jacket on and a work van! I think someone said there was a broadband van parked there while he did the deed. Good cover as everyone just ignores a BT van. I now have my tail between my legs having stated here yesterday that this wasn’t a Banksy as it wasn’t clever enough 😂
Utterly brilliant work, a comment on domestic violence with the epic title of Valentine’s Day Mascara. Margate is very lucky.
Well I think it’s great I bet a lot of women who have been in an abusive marriage would like to do this to there husband’s.
I’m beginning to identify the Banksy strategy.
1) Find somewhere with a local interest in art. But with a remnant “Brexity” local grouping as well. They are always moaning.(Can’t blame them. They got what they wished for).
2) Do something not particularly daring like painting on a spare gable-end.
3)Arrange supporters to send in complaints about the “vandalism” and the “waste of money”. This draws attention and starts a “debate”.
4)Sit back and watch the notoriety go “viral”(at least around Thanet).
5) Result!
Wish he was my agent!
I think it’s great I didn’t look at it as I was on line without my glasses it’s amazing Margate is lucky to have this this is what it’s all about Thankyou Banksy
When they eventually catch this numbskul who puts horrible graffiti on folks’ walls, he should be made to scrub them all off.