Seeing graffiti on public transportation isn’t out of the ordinary. But it is a bit strange when that graffiti is worth millions of pounds.
Titled “If You Don’t Mask, You Don’t Get”, Banksy’s newest piece of art was displayed on the London Underground inside of a Circle Line train carriage. This platform should allow for many people to view the art piece in person. However, by the time Banksy posted about it on his Instagram page, cleaners had removed it from the carriage. When asked this art being cleared away, a representative from Transportation for London said this:
It was treated like any other graffiti on the network […] The job of the cleaners is to make sure the network is clean, especially given the current climate.
via BBC
The artwork itself appears to be an encouragement for Londoners to wear masks, especially when in crowded public areas, like public transport. It features several rats, many of which are wearing masks. Even more evident is one spraying antibacterial gel. Additionally, Banksy’s name is scrawled across the door of the train. Rats are a motif in Bansky’s work.
According to his own footage, Banksy appears to have disguised himself as a cleaner to get onto the train in the first place. The video on his Instagram actually shows his process of painting while on a moving train. Of course, given that Banksy appears to be so concerned about public health, no one can really complain that the graffiti was taken down due to thorough cleaning of train cars.
Featured Image via Instagram
