Anger as Lie Lie Land artwork in Islington shopping street mocking Donald Trump and Theresa May is covered up
The Lie Lie Land artwork had become a local landmark but has now been painted over. - Credit: Archant
A mural mocking Donald Trump and Theresa May may have turned a small Islington shopping street into a tourist attraction – but that didn’t stop new shop owners from painting over it.
Street artist Bambi’s famous Lie Lie Land artwork on the corner of Cross Street and Shillingford Road showed the pair in the iconic dancing pose from Hollywood hit La La Land.
It arrived almost a year ago and became a popular spot for photos, doing wonders for the footfall in the trendy retail spot.
But a new fashion outlet named Etre Cecile has taken the reigns of the former Cross Street Gallery where the mural is painted – and bosses clearly didn’t think much of the artwork.
A woman was spotted covering over it with a roller on Friday afternoon – angering many in the area, who let their feelings known.
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One witness said: “There were six or seven people saying: ‘I can’t believe what you’re doing’.
“One woman even said she was going to boycott the shop. The neighbours that run along that side road are really upset.”
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The woman added: “I liked what it did to the area; it was bringing in lot of revenue as people were stopping in cafes. It gave the area a bit of oomph. It was a real landmark.
“It will affect the new business because it’s quite a close knit community within cross street.”
The shop has told the Gazette the wall is going to be used to showcase “amazing young artists” from the local area.
A spokeswoman said: “We are very excited to be a part of the thriving local community in Islington and to reflect this we will be establishing an evolving space for local creatives.
“We are working with some amazing young artists to showcase their work on the wall moving forward, unveiling the first instalment of the series later this spring.”
The mysterious Bambi – who has sold works to Rihanna, Brad Pitt and Adele – often uses social commentary in her work and is known to addresses political concerns.
The removal of the artwork came two days before a new Banksy mural on a disused bridge in Hull was whitewashed, although window cleaner Jason Fanthorpe has since used water and white spirit to restore it.
