
Banksy's Dismaland theme park -- the street artist's dystopian take on Disneyland -- opened in August in southwest England, and tickets sold out within hours.

Marketed as a "bemusement park," it featured work from fellow contemporary artists Damien Hirst, Jenny Holzer and Jimmy Cauty.

This Cinderella piece -- taken inside of the decrepit castle at the center of the park -- riffs on the death of Princess Diana.

Over 50 artists from 17 countries were represented among the works shown. Banksy contributed a selection of new works of his own, including this installation of a woman being attacked by seagulls.

This killer whale jumping out of a toilet piece by Banksy was also on the grounds.

Not every piece was quite so whimsical. This more topical installation -- one of the many games at the amusement park -- makes a powerful statement about the ongoing migrant crisis.

Many of the artworks shown were politically motivated. This one by Peter Kennard and Cat Phillips makes a clear statement about Britain's current political leadership.

Big Rig Jig, a sculpture by Mike Ross, on display at Dismaland.

One of the highlights of the exhibition? The staff, who were convincingly glum throughout.

It's not the first time Banksy has played on the amusement park theme. In a poignantly different scene from earlier in the year, a child in Beit Hanoun, Gaza walks past a mural that depicts children using an Israeli watchtower as a swing ride.

In this image, taken in Februrary, a Palestinian child stands next to a Banksy mural of a kitten on the remains of a house that was destroyed during the war between Israel and Hamas in the summer of 2014.

The secretive street artist built his reputation on playful images that began appearing on the walls of London and Bristol in the early 1990s. This image is from 2006.

Banksy's work often plays with overtly political themes such as surveillance culture and state corruption.

... not to mention many a humorous dig at Britain's police force.

Banksy famously took his firebrand style to the streets of New York in 2013, with a series of artworks appearing over the course of a month in neighborhoods around the city.

The amusement park theme also made its way to New York's Lower East Side, during his month-long "residency" with this ghoulish exhibit "Grim Reaper Bumper Car."

Despite his anti-establishment roots, Banksy has gone on to garner great enthusiasm from the high-end art market world. This stencil print "Love is in the Air" sold for $248,000 in 2013.

But not everyone is a fan. This Banksy mural depicting pigeons holding anti-immigration signs was destroyed by the local council in Clacton-on-Sea, England on October 1 after the council received complaints that the artwork was offensive.



