Photos show walls above Lowestoft Banksy removed under cover of …
The removal process of another of Lowestoft’s famous Banksy murals may have begun. Walls above the Seagull mural, which was sprayed on the side of a building in Katwijk Way by the elusive street artist in August 2021, were spotted being removed last night (Tuesday, April 4), although the artwork itself appears to have remained intact.
Locals grew suspicious earlier this year after scaffold was erected around the mural. Walls above the mural were lifted from the side of the building last night by a crane and taken away on a lorry.
The Seagull mural originally included a yellow skip containing insulation boards, representing chips. However, in early December 2022 locals noticed that the skip had been removed, leaving only the sprayed mural surrounded by metal fencing.
East Suffolk Council said that the skip had been removed “in the interests of maintaining cleanliness by preventing the collection of discarded rubbish”. The building at the corner of Denmark Road and Katwijk Way is in private ownership, meaning the council have no control over the artwork’s destiny.
In November 2021, the Crowbar Girl Mural, originally sprayed on the side of a building in London Road North, was cut from the wall. Banksy created four pieces of artwork in Lowestoft in August 2021.
In response to the removal of a wall around the Seagull mural, an East Suffolk Council spokesperson said: “While we are naturally disappointed by the reported removal of the Banksy seagull from the side of a building in Lowestoft, it is ultimately the right of the owner to make decisions about their own property, and we acknowledge that Banksy works, by their nature, may not always be permanent features.
“We remain grateful for the attention that Banksy has brought to Lowestoft – a town with a burgeoning arts and cultural scene that will continue to go from strength to strength.”
Scroll down to see photos of what was taken away.
References
- ^ Suffolk council’s explanation after part of Lowestoft Banksy mural is removed (www.suffolklive.com)