Banksy’s Rhino Gets Defaced By Balaclava-Wearing Figure
Photo: Matthew Chattle/Alamy Live News
Another Banksy bites the dust. The anonymous artist’s latest rhino mural, part of an animal-themed series sweeping London, met an untimely fate in Charlton when a masked vandal decided to leave their own mark.
The artwork, which appeared overnight on Monday, depicts a rhinoceros in a rather compromising position atop a Nissan Micra. As if that isn’t eye-catching enough, the car sports a traffic cone on its hood to resemble another rhino. This piece is the latest in Banksy’s current streak, which has seen eight new works pop up across the capital in as many days.
However, the mural’s lifespan was cut short when a man, face obscured by a black balaclava, took it upon himself to “modify” the piece. In broad daylight and seemingly without fear of consequence, the individual spray-painted a tag across the rhino’s belly. Onlookers watched in dismay as the act unfolded, jeering at the culprit yet powerless to stop the act.
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Other artworks in the series have faced similar fates, with some being outright stolen or hastily relocated to protect them from vandals. These include a howling wolf perched atop a satellite dish, a feline prowling across a billboard, and a school of piranhas transforming a police box into an impromptu aquarium.
Well that lasted long â˜¹ï¸ #banksy #charlton #rhino pic.twitter.com/oWEOu0zTjH
— Sam (@samc2586) August 13, 2024
While Banksy’s artworks have been left open to interpretation, it seems time—and irresponsibility—might eventually reveal their true purpose. Just as these murals face threats from vandals and thieves, wildlife faces dangers from thoughtless human activities. Perhaps the artist is urging us to stop fixating on the new residents of the concrete jungle, and to look at what’s happening in the real, natural world.
[via BBC and The Independent, images via various sources]
