Port Talbot in South Wales has been making the headlines once again yesterday due to a mysterious street art piece that appeared on the roadside garage in the Taibach area of the town. Using clever placement of the piece that encompasses two sides of grey garage walls, the work is likely a commentary on the fact that Port Talbot has been named as the UK's most polluted town in a new World Health Organization (WHO) report back in May. About 24hrs since the work has been discovered and shared on social media getting in headlines of the likes of BBC, The Independent, or Express, Banksy recently confirmed its authenticity by releasing a video on his Instagram.
By "hiding" one part of the story around the corner, the main image feels like stereotypical winter imagery of a boy with his sleds eating fresh snowflakes that are falling from the skies. Unfortunately, the other part of the piece showing a tagged up garbage on fire suggests that the festive setting is actually created by a smoke cloud and ashes from burnt waste, creating a significantly different atmosphere to the work. —Sasha Bogojev
Photo credit by @swillsup, @rosshookings
