A controversial mural created by renowned street artist Banksy could soon be sold by Great Yarmouth Borough Council in England. The artwork, which depicts two children clinging to an inflatable dinghy while an adult pumping it up is distracted by their drink, was painted on the side of Gorleston's model yacht pond but was later removed due to sensitivity concerns.
The piece was part of Banksy's "Great British Spraycation" series during the summer of 2021, when the elusive artist created a total of 10 works across Norfolk and Suffolk. The artwork appeared over the course of a week and was eventually verified on the artist's social media accounts. However, the Gorleston piece quickly became controversial due to its perceived parallels with a tragic local incident.
Local officials decided to paint over the mural because of concerns about its connection to the death of three-year-old Ava-May Littleboy, who died in July 2018 when an inflatable trampoline at Gorleston beach burst. After the artwork appeared in 2021, the borough council issued a statement saying, "We thank Banksy for all the wonderful artwork and fully appreciate these circumstances would not have been known by the artist."
Despite initially covering the mural, the council later decided to carefully remove the entire wall section and restore the artwork. This restoration process cost £14,105, while repairing the wall afterward cost an additional £7,623, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The image was also subsequently removed from Banksy's official website.
The council had originally considered displaying the restored artwork in the town's Time and Tide museum but ultimately decided this would be insensitive given the circumstances surrounding Ava-May's death. Now, the local government is proposing to sell the piece through either an auction or private sale.
The proposal to sell the controversial artwork will be considered at a Great Yarmouth Borough Council meeting scheduled for October 7. Cabinet members will be asked to review a recommendation to have the piece professionally valued and then sold. According to the council, any proceeds from the sale would be ring-fenced specifically for community projects in the Gorleston area, ensuring the money benefits the local community where the artwork was originally created.
