“Banksy Seagull Mural Defaced in Preparation for Building Renovation”
The mural was originally painted next to a container containing insulation strips to depict shavings
A mural of a seagull that Banksy painted as part of the artist’s Great British Spraycation has been covered up.
The seagull mural on the side of a house in Lowestoft, Suffolk was released in August 2021.
It was painted next to a trash can that was originally part of the artwork but was recently removed to prevent fly tipping.
East Suffolk Council said the building was privately owned, but renovation work was understood to be taking place, which is why scaffolding and a screen covered the mural.
The insulation strips in the trough gave the impression of a bird stealing shavings
The mural painted on the house on the corner of Denmark Road and Katwijk Way was one of three painted in Lowestoft as part of the street artist’s Great British Spraycation collection in Norfolk and Suffolk.
It was originally painted next to a container containing insulating strips to depict shavings.
The council said in January that the container was removed after it was used “as a place to dump rubbish of any kind”.
It said the building’s owner made the decision to remove the container.
The skip was removed in January over fly-tipping concerns
Martin Halliday from Lowestoft can see the mural from his workplace.
He thought it would be removed.
“In any case. They went to great lengths to encase the whole building with scaffolding,” he said.
“The top of the gable end was removed, as was the chimney.
“We would assume they would remove the Banksy mural at once like they did with the other one [on London Road North]they would literally just have to board the wall and secure it on both sides, and then they could crane it out.
“It looks like it’s going to fly to a new home very soon.”
The council previously said the artist’s visit in summer 2021 had had “an extremely positive cultural and economic impact in East Suffolk”.
Many of the pieces obtained have been protected by UV stabilized polycarbonate panes to prevent them from fading when exposed to light.
The mural was painted on the side of the building on the corner of Denmark Road and Katwijk Way in Lowestoft in August 2021
The BBC have attempted to reach out to the building’s owner for comment.
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