Two murals in New Orleans, created by notorious street artist Banksy, were vandalized over Christmas. The "Umbrella Girl" and "Gray Ghost" murals were tagged with red paint reading "Team Robbo" and "King Robbo." The graffiti tags are thought to refer to an artist who was in a feud with Banksy before the former's death.
The paintings have been a staple of New Orleans street art culture since their creation in 2008 when Banksy secretly visited the city. "Gray Ghost" has been on display at the corner of Clio and Carondelet Streets, while "Umbrella Girl," located at North Rampart and Kerlerec Streets, was thought to symbolize the federal levee system that failed during Hurricane Katrina.
"There are people out there who just don't like Banksy, and others who see destroying his work as a way of making a name for themselves, but preserving this mural isn't even about Banksy for me," Carlos Fundora, local street art tour guide, told the New York Post. "The people of New Orleans have lost a lot this year because of the pandemic, and this public art piece is a source of comfort and joy for many of them."
Fundora and other local artists quickly set to work on Saturday to remove the paint from "Umbrella Girl." While there were able to remove much of the graffiti, some of the red paint remains on the girl's dress. The group replaced the clear plastic sheet covering the mural in a protective coating.
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