Who is Gympie’s Banksy?

A string of wheat-pasted posters taking aim at a councillor and the Mayor have left many people baffled as to what they could mean. Who is trying to be Gympie’s Banksy?

Some of the unusual and not very charitable artwork being posted around Gympie, targeting Mayor Glen Hartwig and councillor Bruce Devereaux.

A string of wheat-pasted black and white posters popping up in visible locations around Gympie seemingly taking aim at Mayor Glen Hartwig and councillor Bruce Devereaux have left residents asking what it is all about.

Two posters appear to be in circulation, one reading: DON’T BE A KAREN, BRUCE, with a picture of a small child wearing thick glasses screaming and gripping their head as if throwing a tantrum.

The second one read: YOU CAN’T PUT LIPSTICK ON A PIG with Mayor Glen Hartwig’s face superimposed onto the headshot of a burlesque dancer in full jewellery and a feathered headdress.

But what does it mean? A tasteless campaign of terror? A Banksy wannabe? Someone with a bone to pick with terrible photoshop skills? A common public art defacer?

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A string of wheat-pasted posters taking aim at Bruce Devereaux and Glen Hartwig have left Gympie residents baffled as to over what they could mean. Who is trying to be Gympie’s Banksy?

A string of wheat-pasted posters taking aim at a Glen Hartwig and Bruce Devereaux have left Gympie baffled as to over what they could mean. Who is trying to be Gympie’s Banksy?

Councillor Bruce Devereaux took it for sport, taking a selfie with the sign aimed at him and posting it to his social media account.

“Wow. I can only assume someone is really, really upset with the Bruce Hwy bypass lol,” Mr Deveraux wrote with the photo.

The post unearthed the locations of a number of the two posters around the city.

One poster was located on the wall of Drakes’ car park, another in the three storey car park, one underneath the Albert Park and skatepark overpass, and another in the Nash St Zoinkilla mural.

Mr Devereaux counted five posters in total.

“At first I thought it wasn’t about us, but then on a closer look I saw Glen’s face,” Mr Devereaux said.

He also noticed the signs appeared in particular places each of them had links to, such as the Civic Centre and Zoinkilla, a mural he’s supported and fought to get a clear seal on.

A string of wheat-pasted posters taking aim Glen Hartwig and Bruce Devereaux have left Gympie baffled as to over what they could mean. Who is trying to be Gympie’s Banksy?

A string of wheat-pasted posters taking aim at a councillor and mayor have left a regional Qld town baffled as to over what they could mean. Who is trying to be Gympie’s Banksy?

He wasn’t sure where the Karen came from, suggesting perhaps he was a bit of a whinger.

“I might be seen as dissatisfied but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing,” Mr Devereaux said.

“It could be a good line for my election campaign.”

He was impressed with the artwork and the effort put into the job, but suggested using blue tac, pins or less permanent glue.

“They shouldn’t be defacing public property and costing ratepayers money to clean it up,” he said.

“With no clear seal on the Zoinkilla it is disrespectful to that artist, we already have trouble with tags on the mural.”

For now all we know is that the Banksy wannabe knows how to glue, use photoshop and make ambiguous statements.

Have you seen any of these posters? Tell us in the comments below.