Banksy piece shows boy creating bubbles in Tox’s name
Published: 23rd June, 2011
by PAVAN AMARA
DOES Banksy read the New Journal?
Just a week after we contrasted his fortunes with those of Tox, the graffiti artist known as the “King of the Taggers”, he appeared to have his own say in the debate yesterday (Wednesday).
On a wall in Jeffrey’s Street, Camden Town, he appeared to have left his mark with an image of a boy creating bubbles in Tox’s name. Daniel Halpin, who lives on the Maiden Lane Estate, is the man suspected of being Tox, one of London’s most prolific taggers. He will be sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court next month after being found guilty of criminal damage.
Banksy, who has not faced prosecution for his wry stencils, has often seen his work protected with touch-up paint jobs and perspex screens.
His latest piece is on the wall of a four-storey block owned by Bhupen Raja and his wife, Hena.
Mr Raja said he had not heard of Banksy before Googling him yesterday.
He said: “We always have this silly graffiti here, and the residents on Jeffrey’s Street can be quite fussy. They have a committee and always want graffiti scrubbed off, which is fine because I don’t have time for all these drawings either.”
“But this Mr Banksy is quite good. You can look at his work and see all sorts of different messages. I just hope the council don’t insist I clean it off.”
Mr Raja added: “Good luck to Mr Banksy, he obviously makes people happy.”
Rob Skipper, 53, a tenant living in one of the five flats in the property, said: “There are loads of arty people living in Camden who would love to live here now. I wasn’t aware of this guy Tox, but Banksy’s world famous. I suppose now a lot more people will know about Tox, now he has Banksy’s backing.
“I went out last night and came back fairly late. It wasn’t there then. So he must have done it in the early hours.”
A spokeswoman for Camden Council said: “It’s a private property so it’s completely up to the owners. Unless it was racist, homophobic or offensive in any other way, we would not insist it was whitewashed.”