An Artist’s Thoughts on Banksy’s Recent Wildlife Art

By Martin Aveling – Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024 Environmental Artivism winner and Wildlife Artist of the Year 2021 Art of Survival Winner

Wildlife has long been ignored by the mainstream art establishment. I have heard it being referred to as a hobbyist pursuit, and even an impure art form. I find this to be ironic since the very first human creatives were essentially all wildlife artists. 

In caves across the world we are given an insight into what motivated early humans to make art, and animals almost always take centre stage. Those people were connected to nature in a way that we haven’t been since. If art reflects culture then wildlife is conspicuous by its absence in art history records. Had we not ignored wildlife, would we be in the same predicament where we are witnessing the mass extinction of species? Possibly not. 

Banksy has always been very good at predicting public response to his art. It is not surprising to me that most theories emerging at the start made it all about humans, like the animals were in some way a representation of human suffering. Banksy will no doubt have known this, allowing it to play into the narrative that we have lost sight of the fact that we share this planet with many other animals, and that biodiversity is essential for a healthy planet. That, for me, is the take home message from his latest series. Many of the early images shared on Banksy’s Instagram page show people seemingly oblivious to the wildlife around them. More recent posts have shown people taking note of the art, which might signify us waking up to environmental issues. Notably the Banksy estate has not given any indication as to what the works represent, which keeps us all guessing.

James Peak is the person who made the popular podcast series, ‘The Banksy Story’. I quite like his take, which is that Banksy is having fun with us, offering up a bit of light relief in a troubled world. However, I still feel that there is a conservation subtext, something that Banksy has not been a stranger to in the past.

In 2008 Banksy created an artwork called ‘Cave Painting Removal’, depicting classic rock art being washed away by a council worker. It existed for just a few months before actually being removed – a perfect metaphor for the mainstream art world’s treatment of wildlife art.

Banksy is famously anti establishment, but he has cleverly managed to manipulate the art world into accepting his creative expression. His anonymity and mystique has played a role in this, but ultimately, for me, it is his storytelling which has made him arguably the most revered living artist. 

Whatever the meaning behind his recent animal portfolio, it has undoubtedly given wildlife art a platform, and for that we are grateful. 

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