Famous, mysterious street artist Banksy has confirmed on Instagram that he is behind a new sculpture that has appeared in central London. The piece was installed only a few weeks after the question of his true identity was reopened.
The installation dawned in the early hours of the morning at a busy location in Pall Mall, not far from the Crimean War Memorial in Waterloo Place. It shows a figure in a suit descending from a plinth, with a flag completely covering her face.
Banksy posted a video of the installation of the sculpture to the sound of the march. The video ends with a comment from a passerby who did not like the work. “This one up there is a nicer sculpture,” he said, pointing in the background.
Reactions on social media were vastly different. Numerous users expressed their delight. “The legend is back”, “Banksy hits the spot again”, “I hope he stays”, are just some of the comments.
The new sculpture appeared shortly after Reuters published the results of an investigation into the artist’s identity. According to their statements, behind the name Banksy stands Robin Gunningham, a person who has already been associated with his works. It is also reported that he allegedly changed his name to David Jones in 2007.
Anonymity has been an important part of Banksy’s work from the beginning. His former manager Steve Lazarides previously said it all started as a need to protect and avoid trouble.
– Anonymity was a way to protect himself in Bristol, said Lazaride and added that over time it also became a burden, because the public began to create different images of him, while he himself could never fully enjoy the glory.
Banksy’s lawyer, Mark Stephens, rejected the allegations of identity disclosure, saying that the loss of mystery would be harmful not only to the artist but also to the wider art scene.
