The latest work by the notorious British street artist was spotted in his native Bristol, England
Famed British street artist, Banksy is back with another artwork this week which many speculate is a reference to Covid-19. Referred to as Aachoo!!, the latest stencil depicts an elderly woman, wearing a scarf over her head and letting out a rather explosive sneeze, to the point that her cane and purse flew backwards while her dentures also flew away.
It's obvious why this would be linked to the pandemic. In addition to mask-wearing, letting out a sneeze, without covering your nose is a recipe for disaster, ironically, the woman is also holding a handkerchief in the work. In an interactive attempt to show just how powerful the sneeze is, one of the images in Banksy's Instagram post shows the sneeze knocking over a trash can and inverting a man's umbrella backwards.
The work is placed on the facade of a house in Vale Street, Bristol which is known for being one of England's steepest residential roads. The spot proved to be a clever choice as avid onlookers who want to snap a selfie beside the artwork against the foreground will appear as if the woman's sneeze has blown you and the houses alongside you away.
Aachoo!! is the latest public artwork by Banksy this year, following the girl hula-hooping with a tire in Nottingham in October. Prior to that, he also painted a London Underground car with rats sneezing while the others wear a face mask. The latter work has since been removed. In April, he also unveiled an artwork while in quarantine, also depicting mischievous rat illustrations and artworks that pay tribute to healthcare workers.
But like so many of his previous works, Aachoo!! was immediately subjected to vandalism, although according to The Guardian, a furniture maker renting a room in the house the work is painted on has covered it to in protective plastic to prevent further defection.
See also: Rare Banksy "Banksquiat" Work To Appear At Auction For The First Time