NHS Mural, Shrubland Street, Leamington Spa

A mural celebrating the NHS at the rear of Shrubland Street, Leamington Spa. The grafitti has been crossed out, or slashed, by another artist. The original tag has also been obscured and replaced with a new signature. In the largely unwritten ethics of graffiti art, acts of overwriting such as these are considered aggressive, a direct challenge to the original artist. While it may be difficult to establish the cause of this particular conflict, the treatment here of a political slogan—one supportive of institutional efforts to combat COVID-19—is suggestive of the schism that has emerged within public discourse in the UK. 

The photograph was taken on 2nd April 2021 at 10:15am.