Tag along with us on a virtual street art tour
The mysterious graffiti artist Banksy has been creating his satirical stencil-style work on buildings and walls around the world for almost 30 years. A large number of these have been destroyed, physically removed, or painted over by other artists — as is the ephemeral nature of street art.
However there are still some around that you can explore using Street View. Here are 12 of them...
BANKSY, Crayon for Closure, Kolodny by BanksyRandom Act Projects
The French Embassy, London
2. Falling Shopper, London
The Falling Shopper is painted around 7 meters above the ground on Bruton Lane. It's one of the best preserved examples of Banksy's work, as it's too far off the ground to vandalize.
Falling Shopper, London
3. Man Hanging From Window
Despite also being raised above ground level, this piece portraying a naked man hanging from a window to avoid being caught with his lover fell victim to a vandal wielding a paint gun.
Man Hanging from Window, Bristol
4. The Royal Family, London
This mural on the side of a wall in Stoke Newington was almost painted over by workmen, until local protesters saved it from being completely erased.
The Royal Family, London
5. The Mild Mild West, Bristol
The anti-establishment mural Mild Mild West depicts a teddy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail at three police, in response to riot police shutting down unlicensed raves in Bristol.
The Mild Mild West, Bristol
6. Very Little Helps, London
This mural of 3 children paying their respects to a Tesco supermarket bag up a flagpole has largely been overlaid with graffiti and scaffolding, but you can see the original here.
Very Little Helps, London
7. The Girl With The Pierced Eardrum, Birstol
A parody of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, the use of an alarm box as a piercing showcases how Banksy often makes use of existing objects in his murals.
The Girl with The Pierced Eardrum
8. Fishing Boy, London
Although quite faded, you can still make out this stencil of a little boy fishing a syringe out of the River Thames in Bermondsey, London.
Fishing Boy, London
9. You Don't Need Planning Permission To Build Castles in The Sky, Bristol
This slogan is another example of Banksy playing with existing features of the landscape, and artfully makes the plain brick wall look like a smiling face.
You Don't Need Planning Permission to Build Castles in the Sky, Bristol
10. Cat and Dog, Bristol
More colorful than some of his other pieces, this mural of a dog graffitiing a wall is an example of Banksy's early work.
Cat and Dog, Bristol
11. Umbrella Girl, New Orleans
Banksy's Umbrella Girl has been covered with perspex to protect it from damage and theft. The image is a reference to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the area in 2005.
Umbrella Girl, New Orleans
12. Yellow Lines Flower Painter, London
The yellow flower was originally an extension of the double yellow lines on the road. You can still make out the outline of the painter crouched next to it, although it has largely been hidden by graffiti tags.
Yellow Lines Flower Painter, London
