Where to find the Folkestone Banksy
Creative Folkestone announce the return of street artist Banksy’s mural Art Buff to The Old High Street following legal campaign
Art Buff, By Banksy
‘cene on The Plinth
A painting by street artist Banksy has been re-installed at the harbour end of Folkestone’s Old High Street in the heart of the Creative Quarter.
From Friday September 18th visitors will be able to see its new position, no more than 30 yards up from the street entrance in the courtyard of 69 Old High Street. Art Buff was originally installed by Banksy in Folkestone in 2014 with the famous artist stating the work as "part of the Folkestone triennial. Kind of".
Art Buff was on display for barely a month before being removed from the wall and shipped for sale in the United States. Following a legal campaign by Creative Folkestone the artwork was reclaimed and has now returned to the town. The artwork, which shows a woman gazing at an empty plinth, sparked the idea for Creative Folkestone to create The Plinth project.
From Friday 18 September to Sunday 8 November, 10 vacant plinths will be placed in beautiful and unique, outdoor locations around Folkestone.
Residents and visitors are invited to find a plinth and use them to display their lockdown creations, artistic talents and special objects in celebration of Folkestone, community and creativity. Take a picture and share it on social media using #FolkestonePlinth to become part of a big online exhibition.
Earlier this year, due to Covid-19 restrictions, Creative Folkestone were forced to change the way they work to protect the local community and reduce the spread of Coronavirus. They responded by closing the doors to their theatre, Quarterhouse, and postponing the Folkestone Triennial. Since then, Creative Folkestone has adapted their approach to continue delivering a creative programme that supports and inspires the people of Folkestone and surrounding areas. The Plinth offers a unique opportunity providing a space to showcase artistic talent, display meaningful objects and share ideas.
Alastair Upton, Chief Executive, Creative Folkestone said: “Folkestone is creative. The people of this town never cease to inspire me and the work that we do here at Creative Folkestone. By returning the Banksy to the Creative Quarter and presenting The Plinth we hope that we can inspire others to get creative this autumn. After everything that has happened this year we are proud to be offering space for people to get creative once again. Folkestone loved the Banksy, with the woman pondering the empty plinth. I can’t wait to see what people place there for her and everyone else to see.”
Alongside the empty plinths, there are also three specially commissioned plinths with works by local artists Malcolm Allen, Maureen Jordan and Tomas Poblete.
In addition, there will be a performance plinth painted on the floor of Payers Park by street artist Toze One. The performance plinth will host a curated programme of music, dance, spoken word and more.
Maureen Jordan is a Northern Irish artist, born in Belfast, now based in Folkestone, Kent. Her work is rooted in her cultural identity, but she responds to the influences, stories and voices that shape a particular place and time. Throughout her career she has worked with many artists in diverse contexts: touring theatre companies, university departments, EU projects, Arts Council England and recently with Creative Folkestone. Since 2009, she has been developing her own art practice, exhibiting, undertaking commissions and creating installations. In 2016 she completed an MA in Fine Art at UCA Canterbury and in 2017 won the Ashurst Emerging Sculptor Award.
Malcolm Allen is an artist based in Folkestone’s Creative Quarter. For Malcolm, art, and more specifically painting, have proven to be the most beneficial and selfish of therapies. Much of Malcolm Allen’s artistic practice explores his own history of addiction and journey through sobriety. For The Plinth, Malcolm has continued this exploration through themes of time (and forgotten years), and caution to others not to believe everything we are presented with.
Tomas Poblete’s work has been exhibited in the U.K, Europe the Middle East and China. As a curator his vision and approach juxtapose high and low cultures on a levelled field. He is Co-Founder & Director of Hop Projects CT20. For The Plinth, Tomas’s work draws on his experience of growing up in Chile and current life in Folkestone. Tomas hopes his work builds a continuum of delight, where every other day is literal and primary in its relations to the realities of Folkestone's imagined memories.
Toze One started his career as a street dancer in 1980, he has performed on stage and on television on numerous occasions, he moved on to become a DJ and music producer in the Electro & Hip Hop genres, working with Hip Hop luminaries such as Shabba Doo. Graffiti & street art were always a passion and were undertaken since 1982, Toze One has exhibited locally and in London alongside many well-known street artists, he also curated what may have been the first Street Art exhibition held in the UK at the St Georges Gallery in Folkestone, and moving with the times Toze One took up digital art & design.