Banksy fan spots trademark artwork (From Wiltshire Times)

Banksy fan spots trademark artwork

8:37am Thursday 19th March 2009

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Fans of internationally renowned graffiti artist Banksy will be casting their eye over a copycat design which has appeared on a former pub near Bradford on Avon.

The artwork of a man in a cap with his hands on his head, in a typically Banksy style, has appeared on the front of the derelict Viaduct Inn, at the bottom of Brassknocker Hill, near the Limpley Stoke viaduct.

The creator remains a mystery but the graffiti has excited Banksy fans like 16-year-old Tom Williams, from Winsley, who spotted the work on his way back from school.

“I’ve seen a lot of Banksy’s work although he usually tags his stuff but this one hasn’t been tagged by him,” he said.

“It might be an imitation but it’s quite impressive as there is lots of intricate detail.

“I think it has been there for about two-and-a-half weeks; it seems like it has popped out of the blue.”

Tom was so impressed with the design that he has kept a stencil he discovered nearby on Tuesday and is believed to have been used to create the artwork.

Banksy is a renowned artist believed to be from the Gloucestershire area. His artwork is often satirical pieces encompassing topics such as politics, culture, and ethics.

Tom, who is a student at Prior Park School in Bath, said: “Banksy is known for his very bizarre ideas. I have always liked the kind of graffiti that instead of making a place look bad, it makes it look good.

“It’s about doing what he wants to do rather then listening to anyone else. It’s really artistic.

“If he hadn’t have started out the way he did, with a poor upbringing, then I think he would have become a very successful legal artist.”

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