NOT TO BE SNEEZED AT
NEW BANKSY APPEARS ON SIDE OF HOUSE – INSTANTLY INCREASING ITS VALUE
AMURAL that appeared on the side of a house in Bristol overnight was created by Banksy, the elusive artist has confirmed.
The image shows a pensioner whose sneeze is knocking over buildings, an effect created by spraying it on the side of the house on Vale Street in Totterdown – England’s steepest road.
The piece, entitled Aachoo!!, was first discovered on the external wall of the semi-detached property yesterday morning.
It shows a woman wearing a headscarf and holding a handkerchief, while violently sneezing – with such force her false teeth are shooting out of her mouth.
In an image released by Banksy, the woman’s sneeze appears to have knocked over a wheelie bin at the next-door property, while a man holding an umbrella is being blown backwards.
Banksy confirmed on his website and Instagram page yesterday afternoon the piece was his work.
Vale Street is said to be the steepest in England, with its 22-degree gradient put to use during annual Easter Sunday egg-rolling competitions. The property the artwork has appeared on was recently put up for sale.
According to property website Rightmove, houses in Vale Street had an overall average price of £396,397 over the last year – 24 per cent up on the 2017 peak of £320,050.
Fred Loosmore, 28, a furniture maker who rented a room in the house until recently, has fixed a piece of clear acrylic over the artwork to protect it.
Fred said: “I just moved out. We’ve been in and out for a week or so. It’s actually on the outside wall of what was my bedroom. There’s a big walk-in wardrobe on the other side.”
Several of Banksy’s pictures have been defaced in the past by vandals. Fred said he and friend Sam Hunt feared the work might get defaced.
“Luckily we’ve got a workshop and a massive piece of acrylic we’ve got left over,” he said.
“When we lived here so many people would come, especially on bikes and stuff because they were trying to do the challenge up the hills. It’s a great spot. The artwork is so nice. It’s so relevant, isn’t it?”
Crowds gathered to view the creation, which appeared on the side of a semi-detached, all afternoon.
The mystery man who appears posing in the photograph on Banksy’s website, as if blown over by the sneeze, was seen posing for the photo yesterday morning.
The photographer was overheard to say: “It’s part of the gag isn’t it? He’s being blown back by the sneeze”.