Has the mystery artist Banksy been at work in Blackburn?
Some residents think so after seeing a new piece of street art pop up in the town centre.
The stencilled graffiti certainly fits the style of Banksy – whose real identity remains a mystery – as does the political message behind it.
The new piece of art can be seen in Corporation Street in Blackburn town centre, opposite the old Chippery fish and chip shop, painted on the wall of the ramps to the Mall car park.
It depicts a young girl painting on the wall, writing a quote by Ancient Roman philosopher Cicero.
It reads: “Laws are silent in times of war,” with a $ dollar sign instead of the ‘s’ in ‘silent’ perhaps suggesting money plays a part in the alleged silence.
It is an interpretation of the Latin phrase ‘Inter arma enim silent leges’, which literally translates as "for among arms, the laws are silent".
In modern times, it is usually used to refer to when civil liberties are eroded during wartime, particularly against minority groups.
One resident, Pete Moore, wondered if the art piece was by Banksy.
He said: “On the retaining wall of the Mall car park entrance, a freshly painted mural has appeared.
“The big question is, is it a genuine Bansky? The appended quote from Cicero would suggest that it is but who can tell?”
Unfortunately, upon closer inspection this art piece doesn’t appear to be by Banksy, but instead by another street artist who has had his work featured at Banksy’s Dismaland in Weston-super-Mare, along with at the Tate Modern in London and the Louvre in Paris.
To the right of the mural is a tag, which reads Zedsy, who is another British street artist.
Zedsy has more than 10,000 followers on Instagram, where their portfolio of work can be seen, including a large number of politically motivated pieces can be seen, as well as pieces referencing war and the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel.
The artist has yet to post about the piece on social media, while previous public artworks have been created in Hoylake on the Wirral, in Southport, as well as Edinburgh, Paris, Manchester, Istanbul and even Bethlehem.
So while it looks like Banksy has yet to cross Blackburn off their list, another up and coming artist has left their mark on the town.
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