Art / banksy
Banksy’s Totterdown mural boarded up
A famous advert for Fry’s chocolate, once made in their sprawling factory on Union Street in Bristol city centre, featured a boy in five stages: desperation, pacification, expectation, acclamation, realisation: it’s Fry’s.
The appearance of a new Banksy mural has a similar number of stages: appearance, questioning, confirmation, covering, removal.
Aachoo! appeared on Vale Street in Totterdown in December 2020. After questions were asked, it was soon confirmed to be an original Banksy and swiftly covered in Perspex that soon was contained within a small wooden structure.
On Tuesday, the piece was completely covered by scaffolding boards, meaning that it is still in situ on the wall but can no longer be seen from the road.
Bristol24/7 attempted to talk to the owners of the house on which the mural is painted but there was no answer on Tuesday afternoon.
In cold weather, the Perspex covering the Banksy piece would completely steam up, disappointing visitors coming to see it during their daily exercise sessions.
Other Banksy murals across the world have been removed from walls in order to be sold at auction, but it is unknown if that is the plan for Aachoo!.
One man who lives nearby, who did not want to give his name, said: “I know local residents are really disappointed. The original piece looked great and brought a lot of new people to this part of Totterdown. It brought some joy to people at what is a pretty awful time.
“Now it just looks sad and mean-spirited. Visitors traipse up the hill and laugh at it. Surely the original Perspex screen and a camera were enough.”
Aachoo remains hidden on the steepest residential street in the UK – photo: Martin Booth
An air humidifier appears to have been installed on the same side as the Perspex as the mural – photo: Martin Booth
Before the appearance of Aachoo!, Banksy’s latest piece in his home town was painted as a Valentine’s Day treat in 2020.
Located less than two miles from Vale Street on Marsh Lane in Barton Hill, that piece was also swiftly boarded up but not before being defaced.
More than a year later, the stencil of a girl with a catapult remains boarded up with the roses covered by Perspex.
Banksy cut his graffiti teeth alongside the likes of Inkie and Cheo at the former Barton Hill Youth Centre, which has since become a boxing club – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo and video: Martin Booth
Read more: Alan Partridge, Banksy and CCTV surveillance
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