New Banksy Murals Pop Up In London Ahead of…

Banksy and Basquiat

An art-match made in heaven. Or at least an "(unofficial) collaboration" as Banksy calls it, stating in a set of recent Instagram posts displaying his two new murals painted in central London this week as a tribute to the late Jean Michael-Basquiat.

Photo Credit: Arrested Motion

Banksy's Instagram caption alongside the first mural - a Basquiat-inspired monochrome Ferris Wheel, taunts the London Performing Arts Centre, stating "Major new Basquiat show opens at the Barbican - a place that is normally very keen to clean any graffiti from its walls."

Major new Basquiat show opens at the Barbican - a place that is normally very keen to clean any graffiti from its walls.

A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on Sep 17, 2017 at 5:10am PDT

The second mural, showing similarities with Basquiat's 1982 work 'Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump', states: "Portrait of Basquiat being welcomed by the Metropolitan Police - an (unofficial) collaboration with the new Basquiat show."

A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on Sep 17, 2017 at 5:11am PDT

The Barbican's Big Gig

The two works located near the Barbican Centre, celebrate the opening of the gallery's new Basquiat exhibition, which has been described as its "first large-scale exhibition in the UK of the work of the American artist". The exhibition, entitled 'Boom for Real' opens at the Barbican Centre on 20 September.

Gone too soon?

There are of course concerns regarding the longevity of the work, as other tags have already appeared next to one of the iconic murals.

The City of London Corporation said it has not decided what it plans to do with the two works. A spokesman for the local authority has said, "We plan to discuss the pieces with City Corporation colleagues and Barbican residents over the next few weeks,"

Basquiat

American painter Jean-Michel Basquiat began his career as a graffiti artist in New York. His unique style earned him the title of one of the most celebrated painters to ever live and he went on to collaborate with the likes of Keith Haring and Andy Warhol.

Basquiat died aged 27 in 1988, of a suspected drug overdose. His original paintings now sell for millions. At a recent Sothebys Auction this year, one of his works sold for £83 Million - a record result.