Banksy's Newest Piece Found And Destroyed In Time For Valentine's Day

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/14/1156849741/banksy-valentines-day-violence-woman

A new art piece by Banksy was found on February 13, 2023 in Margate, England, but the local government removed key pieces of it. A large freezer and a few smaller household items that were a part of the piece were removed by the city council for being trash. However, Margate residents weren't happy about the freezer's removal and complained that while art was removed, actual trash remained. The freezer was put back in place by the district authorities on February 15, but then removed once more the next day. The art, titled "Valentine's Day Mascara," is about domestic violence and depicts a stereotypical 1950s housewife, who has multiple visible wounds, standing and smiling over a partially closed freezer that has black trousers and black dress shoes sticking out from the side of the lid. Banksy is a British artist known for street art with political messaging behind his art and for creating elaborate stunts to gain media attention towards causes or issues that are important to the artist. I have been familiar with Banksy's work for many years and admittedly have mixed feeling about the artist, but this is an interesting story and shows the complex yet funny relationship between art and authority. I am reminded of Banksy's and other street artists' work when I see the trains going by on my commute, and I wonder if I am seeing some of the early work of the next famous street artist(s).