A long-running feud between Banksy and graffiti legend King Robbo has spread to Islington, with one of Banksy’s iconic works recently defaced with his rival’s name.Banksy’s grafitti on Essex Road, featuring three children raising a Tesco plastic bag on a flag pole, was partly sprayed over ten days ago.
With the words ‘HRH King Robbo’ now covering the flag, veteran aerosol artist King Robbo, or one of his fans, is believed to be behind this latest episode in the battle.
The feud began in December last year when Banksy painted over part of a 25-year-old King Robbo piece by Regent’s Canal. Robbo responded by painting over the work again, spelling out his name with large white letters.
The defaced graffiti is on the side of a pharmacy near Essex Road Station. Anand Chavda, who works at the pharmacy, said they had gone to great lengths to protect the work, which appeared in March 2008.
“Everyone likes it so we try and keep it intact as much as possible,” said Mr Chavda. “We paid to put up Perspex after it was sprayed on before.”
But this recent vandal went one step further and removed the Perspex sheet to spray the new flag. The Perspex was then put back.
“It’ll be a bit harder to clean this time,” Mr Chavda said.
Other Banksy works throughout the borough include a stencil of a boy painting over a graffiti hotline number on Wakley Street, and stencils of black rats wielding cameras on Upper Street and Holloway Road.
Photo Credit – Lydia Warren
