Banksy’s Season’s Greetings artwork is on its way to England from Wales
Image credit: Scrolls.in
A squabble has erupted after allegations that a Banksy, who appeared in a steelworker’s garage one night, is leaving Wales for England.
When it was discovered in Port Talbot in 2018, the artwork generated a frenzy. According to the municipality, Season’s Greetings will leave Neath Port Talbot for a show in Peterborough.
The decision to withdraw it from Port Talbot, according to owner John Brandler, was forced upon him by the municipality.
The image, which depicted a child enjoying snowfall on two sides of the garage, was shown to be from a fire emitting ash on the other side. However, with an estimated 20,000 visitors in a single month, there were concerns about its safety.
Mr Brandler, an art dealer, paid a six-figure sum for it, and the Welsh government paid to have it moved to an empty shop in Ty’r Orsaf, where it could be seen by the public.
The agreement to maintain it at the Pobl shop ends on January 14, and it will depart the town, according to Neath Port Talbot municipality.
The council told Mr Brandler he had no choice but to remove it before the 14th of January because there was such a demand for business premises in the region.
He went on to say that the council later inquired about the conditions under which he would leave it in town, to which he replied that he had no objection. He said, however, that he had not heard from the council since.
Mr Lewis, a 55-year-old steelworker who discovered the painting in his garage one week before Christmas, described the experience as life-changing after he sold the artwork. He said he believes the town has fallen in love with it, that everyone loves it, and it would have been a tragedy for it to leave the region.