Banksy – Balcony Family, Stoke Newington

Banksy – Balcony Family – Church Street, Stoke Newington.

This painting of a family on a balcony is one of a series of paintings by Banksy that influenced and became the artwork for Blur’s Think Tank album (released in May 2003). It was originally a full length piece on the side of a house involving a painting style that simulated the trappings of an ornate palace in an unexpected location. At the point of taking the first picture it was only suffering from minor tagging at the base of the art.

Banksy Balcony Family, Stoke Newington
Banksy Balcony Family

Soon after work began on blacking out the entire piece but was stopped when locals realised what was happening. This application of black paint ruined the essence of the art work but the family have remained in place until this day, marooned halfway up a black wall.

Banksy Balcony Family – what’s left in 2020
While the details may be different there are major similarities between Banksy’s Stoke Newington family and Blur’s Crazy Beat single cover art.