London (AFP)
British urban artist Banksy claimed on Instagram on Thursday the authorship of a graffiti that appeared on the wall of the former British prison in Reading (west London), where writer Oscar Wilde was detained.
The work shows a prisoner escaping using a rope made of sheets tied together and tied to a typewriter.
It was claimed by the elusive artist in a video posted to his Instagram account, in which he had fun with one of Bob Ross' cult shows, where the now-deceased American artist advised techniques for painting in the oil landscapes.
“Hello, I'm Bob Ross. Welcome to The Joy of Painting,” we hear at the start of the Instagram excerpt from the original video, “You've pulled out all your gear, ready to shoot a fantastic painting with me? Good. "
The image changes, and we then see Banksy making his work using a giant stencil, with the warm instructions of Bob Ross in the background.
The prison of Reading, a city located 70km west of London, has not received any more prisoners since 2013. The Department of Justice, owner of the building, must decide this month whether or not to transform it into a place of show.
She is best known for welcoming Oscar Wilde during his two-year forced labor sentence for "grave immorality".
His latest poem, "The Ballad of Reading Jail", pleaded for reform of the prison system.
© 2021 AFP