Banksy has been sharing satirical graffiti artwork with the British public for around 30 years, often earning him praise and special patronage.
But the Bristol-based artist’s latest collection of London silhouettes has been met with scepticism.
Banksy, who was identified by the Mail on Sunday in 2008 as Robin Gunningham, this week took credit for a series of animals stencilled on walls across the capital, including a goat on Kew Bridge, elephants in Chelsea and dancing monkeys on Brick Lane.
But not everyone was so enthusiastic about the activist’s efforts.
“They’re nice pieces, but they don’t make any earth-shattering comments, and if they do, I don’t see it,” Banksy biographer Will Ellsworth-Jones told The Telegraph.
A silhouette of a goat appeared in Kew on Monday, kicking off the series across London
Fans across the city have praised the series, but not everyone was so impressed
Today, fans of the artist gathered around a new work depicting a cat in Cricklewood
Elephants appeared in Chelsea, West London on Tuesday, unveiled by Banksy
Residents may think differently about this.
Property expert Pete Mugleston told MailOnline that house prices around the posh addresses in Chelsea and Richmond where the elephant silhouettes are painted were expected to rise by between £500,000 and £800,000.
“If you’re lucky enough to have Banksy make an impact on your home, you can expect its value to double in no time,” he said.
Critics were quick to point out earlier this week that wealthy homeowners in west London were the biggest beneficiaries of the expected rise in house prices, before the artist moved to north, east and south-east London.
But even in West London, not everyone was convinced.
Trisha Abcorn said: ‘It’s not his best work. It looks a bit rushed and the edges are a bit messy.
“It’s clear he wanted to do it quickly because he probably didn’t want to be seen,” she said.
‘We are used to things being done a little better here.’
Frank Cummings, who admitted he was a Banksy fan, continued: ‘There are a lot of rich people here and I’m sure they won’t be too impressed.
‘This area doesn’t really need as much attention as a Banksy, but I’m glad it’s there.’
Yusuf, who lives opposite the artwork, said: ‘It’s quite special to live opposite a Banksy, but I’ve seen better things from him.
“He painted it on a main road and if you look closely it looks blotchy. I don’t think he’s very good at using stencils.
‘I don’t quite understand what those two elephants mean either.’
Bristol-based Banksy failed to include captions with his social media posts revealing his artwork, leading to further speculation.
Some suggested that the artwork in Chelsea could be a reference to ‘elephants in the room’.
The elephants were the second installation after the silhouette of a goat appeared on a wall in leafy Kew on Monday, raising the property’s price by an estimated £100,000.
The artist’s ardent followers praised the work.
Amber Doffman, an art teacher who lives in Acton, says she has been writing to Banksy for years, and only a few months ago she emailed him asking him to come to west London.
“He’s my idol and the reason I became an art teacher,” she said.
‘I’m more than inspired by Banksy. I hope they cover it up with Perspex straight away before someone ruins it – I’m so scared it’ll get vandalised.’
Ms Doffman added that she believes the artwork “is about the environment – and how we’ve messed it up so much that animals don’t know where to go anymore”.
“I don’t really understand what the two elephants mean either,” said one resident
On Wednesday, the artist shared silhouettes of three monkeys on a bridge in East London
Once again, there was speculation about what the monkeys could mean – if they could mean anything at all
On Thursday, a wolf howling at the moon appeared on a satellite dish in Rye Lane
But within hours of its unveiling, the Banksy in Peckham was found to have been stolen
Elsewhere in the city, the artist and political activist, whose work addresses challenging themes such as alienation, consumerism and anti-authoritarianism, showed three monkeys, a lone wolf, two pelicans and a big cat.
The trio of monkeys seen swinging under a bridge on Brick Lane, near a vintage clothing store, on Wednesday raised just as many questions.
They are associated with the Japanese proverb ‘see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’. But in Banksy’s work, the monkeys do not cover their eyes, ears or mouths.
His fourth artwork, which appeared in Peckham, south-east London, on Thursday – a lone wolf howling on a satellite dish – appeared to have been stolen within minutes.
The striking painting of the wolf howling at night appeared overnight on the roof of a former Betfred store on Rye Lane, Peckham.
Footage has emerged showing the shocking moment the artwork is dismantled and then taken away.
The group of men wearing hoods, face masks and gloves were spotted climbing the building, removing the satellite dish and running away.
On Friday, the artist claimed responsibility for two pelicans that appeared above a fish restaurant in Walthamstow.
It appeared the large waterfowl were eating fish above the chippie on the Northcote Road.
Stella Creasy, local Labour MP, praised the work in her constituency.
She said: ‘Walthamstow. Where even our chippy is just a little bit cooler than everyone else’s.
‘Even though this isn’t Banksy, it’s brilliant and the chips are magical. The owner is currently on holiday though, so you’ll have to wait a while to confirm that for yourself.’
“So thank you to everyone who added this little bit of magic to our street art today.”
The fifth mural appeared on a fish and chip shop in Walthamstow on Friday
Banksy has left locals bewildered, confused and ungrateful with his latest works
The latest mural on a disused billboard on Edgware Road in Cricklewood
Today’s artwork – the cat – is printed on an abandoned billboard in Cricklewood, North London.
Some were initially impressed by the work. Simon Stephenson, who saw it ‘first’, said he felt like he had won the lottery.
“It’s amazing to see that it’s his – I couldn’t believe my eyes when I found it. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time.”
The mixed reception is nothing new for the artist. And if the locals react with bewilderment, confusion and distrust, that works better than no reaction at all.