KentOnline

bannermobile

News

Sport

Business

What's On

Advertise

Contact

Other KM sites

CORONAVIRUS WATCH KMTV LIVE SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTERS LISTEN TO OUR PODCASTS LISTEN TO KMFM
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE
News

Ashford's 'Roundabout Banksy' returns with four displays across the town

By: Charlie Harman

Published: 09:52, 17 April 2019

Updated: 10:15, 17 April 2019

An anonymous artist, known for installing art on roundabouts, has erected new displays for the first time in two years.

At least four of the roundabouts in Ashford have been decorated in the latest guerilla art effort by the mysterious man commonly known as 'Roundabout Banksy'.

The unknown sculptor has put a snake bearing the EU stars on the Conningbrook Hotel junction, being chased by a hedgehog with a Union Flag tongue.

The latest 'Roundabout Banksy' creation on the Conningbrook Hotel junction. (8737247)

On the other side of the mound is a rat with the abbreviation 'gov' on it - a tongue-in-cheek creation that has also been placed on the Drovers, Eureka Park and Prince Albert roundabouts this week.

The unnamed satirist has previously made four models, all but one seeming to make a statement about Brexit.

Rats, like this one on the Prince Albert roundabout, have appeared across town. (8740400)

In June 2017, the first piece appeared on the Eureka Park roundabout. It featured three sharks - each with an EU sticker - chasing a swimmer.

mpu1

Two months later, one of the town's busiest roundabouts got a similar treatment. The Junction 9 piece saw a hare looking up at a dangling carrot suspended from its back.

This artwork used smaller stickers, with the Union Flag attached to the hungry hare and the carrot adorned with the European Union stars.

A swimmer being chased by sharks was the first 'Roundabout Banksy' piece to gain notoriety.
The Junction 9 hare was installed in August 2017.
The squirrel sculpture has appeared on the Drovers roundabout in September 2017, later being auctioned for charity.

The theme continued with the artist's penultimate piece of 2017, which comprised of a squirrel holding a balloon with a distorted British flag on it.

The squirrel sculpture was later auctioned to raise money for Pilgrims Hospices.

Finally, in October of that year, a small tree with leaves made to look like notes from £5 to £50 showed up on the Tank roundabout.

His Tank roundabout sculpture saw a departure from the Brexit theme, and a clue about his identity.

A sign alongside the kooky creation read "Government property Mays Tree £", and signalled a shift from the use of animals and Brexit motifs.

This last outing gave interested art enthusiasts the largest clue to his identity, as he signed the back with 'Mr Mongo'.

The tree was to prove his final work until this week, when the rats, snake and hedgehog turned up on the Conningbrook roundabout.

mpu2

Are you the Roundabout Banksy or do you know who he is? Get in touch with the Kentish Express at kentishexpress@thekmgroup.co.uk

Read more: All the latest news from Ashford

How is Brexit going to affect Kent? For all the latest news, views and analysis visit our dedicated page here.

More by this author

sticky

© KM Group - 2024