Banksy Spotting in the Upper West Side?

By Ilan Adler

Me and Shalhevet have always been HUGE Banksy fans. In fact I believe “Exit through the Gift Shop” was one of the best films I’ve seen in the last 5 years, and I like to think I watch a lot of films. Besides the high production value and cleverness of his work, through each one of his pieces he continues to make his statement that art should not be confined to a museum, along with social statements on consumerism, the human condition, and quite frankly the absurdity of life.

My dear sister Libi Adler, a proud resident of the Upper West Side, was walking around the area yesterday when she heard reports via Facebook that a Banksy piece was spotted in the area (on 79^th and Broadway). She rushed to the spot with a couple of friends, and saw all these people at the “scene of the crime”:

The people in the front are 2-3 press people, doing exactly what Banksy wants them to do, keep reporting and blowing up the legend.

Now in the following 3 photos is someone who suspiciously feels like Banksy according to my sister. She says that amongst all the mob of people snapping pics and instagramming, was a man with a stroller just looking at the people. She says she doesn’t think that there was a baby inside the stroller, and that after the man saw that they were taking his picture and sort of staring at him, he walked off. Her exact quote, and the photos:

Banksy in the upper west side. Guy with stroller is suspiciously hovering and we don’t think there is a baby in there. Therefore, I think we caught Banksy watching his own work. He ran away when Matan stared him down.

Man with stroller who might be Banksy runs away to the corner when he feels too much suspicion cast upon him.

His hat and hair reminded me of the famous clip where he switches paintings in a museum. I have included here the other supposed photos of the man known as Banksy for a quick comparison:

Bottom line? It’s really hard to tell or come to a definite conclusion, especially when we don’t really have any evidence at all. In my eyes the dude with the stroller bears somewhat of a resemblance to the guy in the first and second alleged Banksy photos. He also fits that image that I’ve created in my head of what Banksy might look like. But this is all conjecture, as until Banksy reveals his true identity we will never know who he actually is.

A couple stray observations:

1. I happen to have a theory that some of the defacing of the street art pieces from the “Better Out Than In” exhibition were done by Banksy himself, or people from his crew. I think he wants to show us that there is no class or status differentiation on the streets, its all a question of who paints last. Hence even the most famous street artist of our time, gets his pieces tagged due to respect or turf issues. This also ties in to the equality of art in the street, where you don’t know to be certified as belonging in a museum by a curator.
2.  I do believe that if he ever does reveal himself it will all be part of a intricate plan to somehow subject us to the absurdity known as the modern human condition. It will no doubt be elaborate and show how the media is always chasing stories, and things to fill up the endless news cycle.

What do you think?