Could it be a Banksy? Dorothy artwork appears overnight in Birmingham's Gay Village
Artwork rumoured to be painted by the renowned graffiti artist Banksy, has appeared overnight in Birmingham city centre.
The mural, depicting Wizard of Oz character Dorothy, can be seen in Birmingham’s Gay Village on Kent Street.
It shows a shoeless Dorothy reaching for her iconic ruby high-heels, which have been hung over a nearby electric cable.
Southside BID has tweeted speculating as to whether the new art could be the work of the elusive artist - while a Birmingham-based art critic said the work had ‘all the hallmarks of Banksy.’
Phil Oldershaw, director of Gay Village bar, Sidewalk, said they were alerted to the mural’s appearance this morning on the side of their property.
If the mural is genuine, it would be the second Banksy piece in Birmingham after a powerful mural appeared in the Jewellery Quarter in 2019 depicting a pair of galloping reindeers, in a message about homelessness.
It was defaced within hours of being unveiled, with the reindeers sprayed to have red noses.
Birmingham-based art historian and critic Ruth Millington said artwork bears ‘all the hallmarks’ of an original Banksy piece. “Banksy doesn’t just stick to 2D art, he plays with objects in real life,” she said.
“We can see the artwork interacting with the shoes on the telephone wire which is very clever. It’s also interesting to note that Banksy has used Dorothy in his art before, he likes putting her in interesting places.
“Banksy does site-specific artworks which carry meaning too. Here we’ve got Dorothy in the Gay Village, and her red shoes definitely carry associations with gay and queer culture where she’s become a bit of an icon.
“I think the timing is quite interesting too, we’re hearing a lot about the city’s cultural scene and the cuts it’s facing - and this could be Banksy drawing attention to that. For me it’s got all the elements a Banksy would have, whereas copycat artwork tends to not include all of these elements together. There’s clearly thinking behind this artwork.”
Phil Oldershaw, director of Sidewalk, said he ‘rushed’ to view the mural when he was alerted to it. “We don’t know where it’s come from,” he said.
“It wasn’t there when the manager locked up last night. It’s still a mystery. I’ve asked our maintenance team to go and cover it in perspex - I’m going to protect it whether it’s Banksy or not. It would be a great thing for Birmingham - and it makes Southside look great too!”
In Nottingham, a Banksy creation appeared on a wall off Ilkeston Road in Lenton, on October 2020.
It showed a child hula-hooping with the missing tyre of a nearby bike, chained to a lamppost.
Banksy’s most recent mural appeared on the side of a residential building in Finsbury Park, north London on 18 March.
Banksy soon claimed the mural as his own in an Instagram post after it drew crowds and attracted speculation.
The elusive artist is yet to confirm whether the mural on Kent Street in Birmingham is his own work.
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