Remember late last year, when a new Banksy artwork popped up on a garage in the Welsh town of Port Talbot and subsequently wrecked the life of the garage owner? (That’s before he sold it to a collector for a six-figure sum.) Well, now it’s being moved to a gallery in the town centre.
Season’s Greetings, which depicts a child catching snow on his tongue – snow that actually turns out to be ash from a bin fire around the corner – was sold by Ian Lewis, whose property it was on, to John Brandler, a Banksy aficionado from Essex.
Reports at the time stated that Lewis turned down higher offers for the artwork to ensure that it would stay in Port Talbot, which it is closely tied to, since it’s meant to be a commentary on the area’s harmful heavy industry.
Thankfully, everyone involved in the deal seems to have kept their word, as the Banksy piece is now being moved to the town centre, where it will be exhibited in a converted former police station at the new Ty’r Orsaf development. Presumably Lewis will also be glad that it’s out of his back yard, since he’s had trouble with masses of visitors (and a drunk man trying to get at it).
The removal isn’t set to be a complete breeze, though. A BBC video about the move details how no one really knows how the bricks and mortar will hold. The owner has said he’ll be waiting “with his eyes closed”.