Many people are familiar with the name Banksy, regardless of their involvement in the art world, or more particularly, the street art scene. To an extent, it is a well-known name simply because of his antics over the years that have made headlines. Whether the name sounds familiar because of his work that has floated around the internet, or his Person of the Year award, presented to him in by Webby in 2014, the one thing that can be agreed upon is that there is no face to the name.

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There have been theories floating around regarding who Banksy actually is, and recently, a video was released with “evidence” for the true identity of the artist, although it has not been confirmed. The form of art that Banksy works with is illegal, and if the true person were to come forward, they could be hit with heavy fines, or even jail time.

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The street artist from Bristol, UK was a revolutionist in the street art movement that aimed to fill the streets with beautiful art and messages about society, economic standings and political issues. Banksy is known to be against the art establishment, as they frequently steal his work from the streets and sell them at auction, for which Banksy receives none of the profit.

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In recent news, a Banksy piece was put up for auction at Sotheby’s, an auction house located in New York, NY. The work was titled “Girl with a Balloon” and sold for 1.4 million dollars. Directly after the auction for the piece ended, the picture dropped through the frame and through a shredder. Banksy claims the shredder was installed in the frame years prior to the piece being put up for auction, and that is exactly the reason he did it. Banksy wanted to ruin the work so others could not individually benefit, as the work belongs in the street for everyone to view.

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However, there has been some controversy. The first point that was brought up by many art critics is that Banksy should have known the work would be worth more after the shredding, especially because the work is still hanging from the frame and was not shredded all the way through. The woman who won the auction for the piece says she will keep it because it is a part of art history.

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There has also been speculation that the event was staged, which Banksy and Sotheby both claim is not the case.

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Alex Branczik, who works for Sotheby, said in an interview, “Let’s end the speculation and crazy conspiracy stories. Banksy didn’t destroy an artwork during our Evening sale last week; he created one. This is the newly titled “Love Is In the Bin, 2018.” Were we in on it? Absolutely not. Do you really think Banksy, who started out stenciling walls in Bristol and dodging the local authorities, would want to collaborate with the art establishment? Where’s the subversion in that? Come on, you should all know better. Come and see the finished painting (and see if you can spot the shredder) this weekend at Sotheby’s New Bond Street.”

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Regardless, Banksy got his name back in the headlines, as the peak of interest in his work has passed. The real story behind this may only be held in the mind(s) of Banksy, so the exact details may never be presented.