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LONDON – Residents of a sleepy English seaside town have been delighted to learn that world-renowned street artist Banksy has chosen their neighborhood to paint a new poignant piece of art for Valentine’s Day.
But not long after it appeared, the county council took it down – leading to an outcry from local residents, who called it an overreach by their local government at the expense of art that could attract tourists to Margate, Kent.
The artwork depicts a 1950s-style housewife wearing a ruffled cleaning apron and bright yellow rubber gloves. She also has a black eye, blue cheek, and broken teeth. The apparent domestic abuse victim appears to be stowing her abuser in a real freezer in front of the mural. Drawings of his legs protrude from the other side.
Thanet Council workers towed away the large, white chest freezer that was the focal point of the artwork, citing health and safety concerns. A frying pan, a beer bottle and a broken white plastic chair had apparently also been part of the installation removed along with the freezer.
“Shame Thanet Council has removed the fridge when they do nothing to prevent the flies from tipping over the rest of the time,” wrote one Instagram user.
“Mighty, too bad the council had to destroy it by removing the props!!!!! It usually takes them months to move anything or make repairs normally,” quipped another.
Others however argued the whole point of graffiti is to be temporary.
Many online applauded the piece Banksy named “Valentine’s Day Mascara” for championing the issue of domestic violence on a day normally reserved for celebrating romantic relationships.
“Thank you for highlighting how far some women have to go to save their own lives and those of their children,” one person wrote. “Thank you Banksy for coming to Margate and making people’s day bright again,” said another.
Around 2.4 million adults in England and Wales were affected by domestic violence in the year to the end of March 2022, according to the latest government data. The majority of victims are women — and the abuse has worsened during the coronavirus pandemic, women’s rights groups say.
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The murders of two young women going home in the UK, Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa, in recent years have also brought the issue to the fore and grabbed international headlines.
A social media post by the elusive British artist has garnered more than 1.4million likes on Instagram as of Wednesday. Banksy has not commented publicly on the dismantling of the artwork.
“A fridge freezer believed to have formed part of the installation has been removed by council officials for security reasons as it was on public land,” Thanet Council said in a statement.
“The fridge freezer is now in storage and will be returned once it has been made safe for the public. We will be in touch with the property owner to discuss artwork preservation options for the district.”
The council did not immediately respond to a Washington Post request for comment about how long the freezer had been there or criticism of delays in garbage disposal.
The graffiti is painted on the wall of a private property. One resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak frankly, told the BBC he was “absolutely upset” by the council’s actions. “It was part of the art, they should be very happy because Margate could get bigger attention, positive attention.”
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The enigmatic street artist’s works have sold millions and popped up around the world, making waves in the art world and on social media, most recently in war-torn Ukraine, Jerusalem, Venice and Paris.
Despite being one of the most well-known artists in the world, Banksy has managed to maintain his anonymity since he rose to fame in the 1990s.