ARTWORK appearing to mock the controversial See Monster exhibition has appeared in Weston, but mystery continues to surround its maker.
On Monday, October 3, graffiti was discovered on a building in Melrose Carpark along the seafront.
It shows a 'fat cat' gulping milk from a bowl filled with what looks to resemble the famous 'Di Faced Tenner' created by Banksy in a stunt in 2004.
The cat is depicted sitting on a pile of cash while beside it are fake ten-pound notes glued to the wall and fashioned in a way that makes See Monster's logo: SM.
These fake tenners feature Lady Diana as the Queen, an image of See Monster, the words 'pay your tax' and 'Banksy of England' along the top to replace Bank of England.
It was first thought to be an authentic Banksy piece but the Mercury can confirm the graffiti is not genuine.
"I saw it as I was parking and thought it was just another piece of street art but after seeing the Diana-faced £10 notes, it raised my suspicion that it could be a Banksy," said Michael Oldfield who first saw the artwork.
"It also ties in with the Tropicana, See Monster and Dismaland.
"I’m a big fan of Banksy and think it would've been brilliant for Weston if it was, but it’s still very interesting."
But the piece has now been hidden from view.
The graffiti has not yet been claimed and many local street artists are unsure of its maker.
It is clear to interpret the artist's critique of See Monster however, and organisers Unboxed: Creativity in the UK which was slammed by an influential Parliamentary committee last month for 'squandering' taxpayer money.
See Monster is a decommissioned North Sea gas platform displayed as an art exhibition, until November 5, at Weston's Tropicana in a bid to 'redefine conversations on climate change'.
The committee called for a National Audit Office investigation into the £120million spent on the project, and called the festival a 'fiasco' after it emerged just 0.36 per cent of expected visitors had seen any of the ten major projects across the country.
Do you know who created this work? Email newsdesk@westonmercury.co.uk.
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