The piece, spray painted on a wall in Kew Green, Richmond, is created with a black stencil of a goat, appearing to perch on a ledge as rocks fall, below. A CCTV camera is placed nearby, at times pointed toward the rocks tumbling down.
The elusive creator, whose identity is not known, posted an image of the work on Instagram, the same way the artist has claimed previous works. It was posted without a caption, presumably inviting personal interpretations of what the latest piece of their signature stencil art graffiti means.
Many people made their own guesses in the comments.
Some thought it may reference the recent social unrest in the country and those they perceived were to blame, or that it might represent ‘the human race on the precipice, of the edge of extinction.’
Others mentioned the surveillance camera could indicate those standing back and watching, while the focus of the work (the goat) experienced peril, something that could relate to a number of situations, conflicts and human rights issues around the world currently.
The latest Banksy artwork is already attracting numerous onlookers who have stopped on the street to appreciate the artwork.
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In June Banksy drew criticism from then Home Secretary James Cleverly for launching an imitation inflatable migrant boat crowdsurfing at Glastonbury during performances by indie punk band Idles and rapper Little Simz. Cleverly said it was “vile” and trivialised the issue of small boats crossings.
In response, Banksy said on Instagram: “The Homeland Security called my Glastonbury boat ‘vile and unacceptable’ which seemed a bit over the top. The real boat I fund, the MV Louise Michael rescued 17 unaccompanied children from the central med on Monday night. As punishment, the Italian authorities have detained it – which seems vile and unacceptable to me.”
The artist’s last painted work in London appeared in Finsbury Park in March. The work used green paint sprayed across the side of a building to mimic the foliage of a real, heavily pruned tree that stands a few metres in front of it.
When viewed from certain angles, the green paint lines up with the tree’s bare branches to represent its leaves. The work includes a stencil, typical of Banksy, of a person holding a spraying device, dripping in green paint.
Some have suggested the work may be intended as a statement with an environmental message, hinting at the impact of humans on nature.
