New statue in London, attributed to Banksy, of a suited man, blinded by a flag

> He's boldly marching into the void

into the void, or off the edge?

"off the edge" is a clear interpretation of the statue. "into the void" is a bit more of a stretch. IMHO.

But that's art for you. Everyone has their own take on it.

Worse than a void because a void is not necessarily bad. Walking “off a cliff” rarely ends well.

The position of the statue (notably the front foot) make it seem very much "walking unknowingly off the ledge of a tall pedestal" rather than marching into the void. I think there's a difference in that "marching into the void" can be seen as heroic, but unknowingly stepping off a ledge is generally seen as being stupid i.e. not using your senses to inform you about the world, but instead relying on nationalism (the flag) to guide you.

Imagine the torrent of wrath if it turned out to be the Palestinian flag.

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Strong disagree. First, like many of the other comments mention, Banksy is known for being clever and witty, but not particularly subtle.

But more to the point, while you may think the meaning is a bit obvious, the fact that the flag is unadorned (which/whose flag is it?), and the man is unknown, makes me think this statue could be the ultimate Rorschach test. I'm sure there are tons of people thinking "Ha ha, this is the perfect commentary on all those idiot <people on the other side who I disagree with> wrapping themselves up in their ideology of <patriotism/social justice/cause du jour> as they march <some particular country/society/the world at large off a cliff>".

In other words, I'm guessing you probably felt the meaning was "obvious" because you filled in the blanks in the above madlibs-style statement in a way that feels obvious to you, and I think folks on "the other side" would probably fill in the blanks with the exact opposite notions in a way that feels "obvious" to them.

Not sure we think of Banksy as being particularly subtle. Innovative and impactful, sure - but the message is usually quite clear, no?

I don't think most of his work is trying for subtle? First thing that came to mind: "Slave Labour" is pretty obvious, it's a kid operating a sewing machine to make Union flags and it was painted on an actual pound shop. Were you unsure of the message? Even something like "Silent Majority" isn't difficult, the comic book "V for Vendetta" makes the exact same point just Banksy painted it as a mural.

> "in September 2025, Banksy painted a mural on the Royal Courts of Justice depicting a judge bludgeoning a protester with a gavel"

His other works aren't subtle.

it gets people talking which many of those who like it consider to be the primary point. In other words, it's not great public art, it's basically government approved engagement bait or engineered pro-establishment viral messaging and it's very successful at that! (but it doesn't inspire and elevate that art should aspire to)

I think the sheer number of people below arguing it might not be about nationalism shows this sort of "Obvious" direct work may still be needed.

I think a good old fashined "we are all fucked" is warranted now and again.

It's also referencing the recent flag controversies in the UK over the past year.

Have you seen the state of the world? Why would you go through the trouble of being subtle nowadays?

Certainly in America but all over the west, people are significantly less capable of media literacy. Sometimes the obvious needs to be said.

> But does anyone else think it's a bit obvious, more so than his other work

I have no idea what it is supposed to mean.

Have you seen his other works in recent years? It's hard to get any more obvious than a judge beating up someone with his gavel or a boy judo throwing Putin.

It's not like Banksy is known for being a sophisticated highfalutin MFA student anyway. Like it or not, appealing to the masses with simple and clear moral messages has always been his deal.

> there is no doubt on the meaning at all

Which flag? Or, what kind of flag? Or does it matter?

Maybe more that it's an obvious idea than an obvious message?

In what world is Banksy supposed to be subtle?

Did you look at his artwork of a judge hitting a protestor with a gavel while the protestor was bleeding on the ground and think “huh, I wonder what this means” (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2z30p033ro).

By those standards a man wrapped in the flag walking off the edge is the height of subtlety. I guarantee you this - none of the people it should be offending will realise he’s talking about them.

If you want to make a political message it often helps to be obvious. This way the meaning of your message will not be misinterpreted either intentionally or un-intentionally.

it's less than mediocre art. Using the following statue from Temu for vandalism would be a stronger art statement: https://www.temu.com/1pc-3d-printed-bride-sculpture-elegant-...

Yes doesn’t feel very innovative

The best art makes you think and/or feel, and engage with it in a personal way.

There's nothing about subtly in that claim, and all forms of art are equally valid, if not the same quality.

Bansky's art has always been blunt and whimsical, probably because he makes popular street art. It's meant to be "accessible" for your average passerby who might only engage with it for a fraction of a second, but maybe get a little surprise when they do.

He's always been one to land a one-liner, or just a punch line.

Sadly, in this day and age, that simple one-punch obvious meaning is just what's needed.

Well the problems it's referencing are glaringly obvious as well, and yet so many people still refuse to acknowledge them.

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all his work is slop. No difference here...

I have the same reaction to Banksy, and figure he and his audience just have to be in on the joke? I can’t discount there’s some layered irony going on in conversation between the artist and the intellectual / capitalist / trend-setting elite that are his effective patrons.

“I remember when all this was trees” [1] is maybe the best example. Detroit hasn’t been “trees” in something like two centuries. Platitudes doused in treacle.

[1] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/10/01/ba...

This one definitely lacks ambition compared to other works. Probably because his other work had a subversive undertone, this one seems sponsored by the powers that be. I also suspect it was installed with cooperation from the local authorities.

The actual headline is more coherent but I'm not too fond of it either.

You really don't see any good ol' fashioned short and sweet headlines that read best to the ear in a Mid-Atlantic accent anymore.

I was like, that's horrible how did this flag cause someone to go blind... Did it like fall on the guy when Banksy was putting it up? oh. duh...

Yeah. The safety of the message is underwritten by its state sanction.

If this was the established doctrine of those in power, then why is the Iran war still going on, and why is the UK providing air bases for the Iran war? This is obviously a comment on the Iran war.

The free coffee is a nice bonus.

I'm not sure what you mean by "Those in power" there are lot's of people who know, but recognise that he has chosen anonymity and see no value in putting a name to the person.

It's not so much a secret as it is simply not public.

Good. I'm glad most of the media have come to a gentlemen's agreement to not blast his name everywhere. Adds a little more fun to the world. Even this statute is staying for now, the local council, bless them, have decided to leave it in place for the near future.

Who cares? Are you similarly triggered by The Rock or Alemao? Banksy is Banksy.

Tracking Bansky is a favorite spy software sales demo given to authoritarian governments.

The point appears to have whizzed a couple of feet over your head.

The pillar is fiberglass too, I believe.

There's a (mostly terrible) documentary about a previous bansky "statue" deposited in London that, in one of its better moments, tracks down the people who actually make statues for artists like banksy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Banksy_Job

edit: I feel I should clarify that this is not an official Banksy documentary. He made "Exit Through the Gift Shop" which is an amazing film which I highly recommend to anyone.

"Blinded by nationalism" I don't know, seems like a clear concise message that has relevance in today's world.

Are you from the UK and know what the piece is a reference to? It’s topical and unpretentious and comes at a time where the country is splintering. Feels a like a bit of a distant midwit take to take shots at the appeal it has.

The irony is that the statue is being guarded by the London police.

Heaven forbid someone tries to communicate a point with art.

Most galvanizing statements have been pithy and comprehensible to 13 year olds. The general population is not doing a deep dive in to something like Thoreau’s “Resistance to Civil Government,” contemplating the proper role of government, and then getting fired up to act. We need CliffsNotes, slogans, and visible art like this.

I think it deserves credit for being both simple and original.

So, you are 14 and you understand the world? Doesn't seem like it

What truly deep art would you recommend for us laymans who enjoy Banksy's works?

It doesn't need to be super layered to be impactful?

Plus the execution is also part of the art.

You are the patron saint of "I'm doing jack shit except criticizing anyone that moves".

Actually it’s a great example of something different, where the person who was original and eventually becomes ubiquitous and groundbreaking and widely imitated to the point where it's hard to understand just how original they actually are.

There are many examples of the same thing: Andy Warhol and the soup cans and screen-printed portraits with different color backgrounds or Led Zeppelin and English folk hard rock songs that have hobbits in them are two of them.

Eventually, it's hard to even process their work in the context of how predictable and trite it seems to be a few decades later.

Maybe, but in 100 years, people looking back on the current era will easily understand the work. It symbolically communicates something about the spirit of the age.

Really riles up PE types and "patriots" though.

Either that or Trump supporters are easily triggered.

Account created last year, is Banksy your patron saint?

This works really well these days, when the average person is 13.

He's also king of the "I'll criticize the west but I'll turn a blind-eye to non-democratic countries' wrongdoings". A trait shared with virtually all intellectuals and artists in the west.

There are fights worth fighting: for example there are 300 million women alive who have undergone forced genital mutilation. 300 million ain't cheap change. There are also hundreds of millions of people who applauded the killing of 1200 young civilians who were enjoying life at a music festival "because it's resistance".

Applauding the killing of young unarmed civilians, genitally mutilating women and turning a blind-eye to a regime slaughtering 30 000+ of its own unarmed civilians is where I personally draw the line and consider there are maybe more important things to complain about than, say, "the patriarchal western society built by heterosexual white men" or some other woke non-sense like that.

Now to be honest Banksy did art criticizing war overall, not just war started by the west. So a generous reading could consider that he also criticizes things like the 800 000 deaths during the Hutu vs Tutsi war.

But still overall: lots of balls from western artists when it's about criticizing the west, but tiny tiny nuts when it's about, say, attacking the ideology that is responsible for 300 people enjoying music at the Bataclan and then getting slaughtered.

But these people can live with their own conscience: I speak up and I've got mine.

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This criticism would carry more weight if the people this statue criticises had the intellectual and emotional maturity beyond that of a teenager.

Unfortunately, they often don't meet that bar, so the message has to be in a form they can understand.

> Banksy is the patron saint of the “I’m 13 and this is deep” mentality.

You are wrong.

I like the fact that one can scroll through the comments here and instantly spot the Brits who have just a tiny bit more context.

Yeah, and that is precisely the point.

This contradiction at the heart of it does a lot of work and is a very valuable part of the art. This contradiction has led me to think a lot about rules and their role in society and to what extent pure strict rules based societies are a worthwhile goal and on the other hand what it means of we make exceptions.

Presumably Banksy and associates would have been arrested too if they had been caught. This whole thing relies on doing it in a way that people don't question it while it's happening.

Apparently not:

  Westminster City Council has told the BBC it did not grant permission, as it was not given advance warning that Banksy's team was planning this installation.

Council permits are usually quite public (in my country). Sneaking it in becomes part of the artwork.

The trick is not to sneak it. Hi Viz and some yellow flashing lights. Couple smooth talkers.

Agreed. Also why it's totally inoffensive

(Though it's not in /the/ City of London. That wouldn't happen in a million years! City of Westminster is way more culturally flexible)

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How so? The concept of the 'blindness' of justice is antithetical to blind patriotism.

England has gotten more liberal over time, not less. I'm not following your logic here. It seems you're wanting to criticize the government of the UK for being authoritarian and ratcheting up the surveillance state, but simultaneously criticize nationalists and link them to this government, but nationalists and right-leaning groups haven't really been in charge of the UK.

"They also made a movie called This is England which straightforwardly depicts young English nationalists"

Not sure who you think "they" are but "This is England" is superb. It deals with a lot of issues, way beyond just nationalism and the like.

Perhaps you would like to fix your gimlet gaze on "A Clockwork Orange" and deliver a further withering critique.

A simple explanation regarding the increase of the number of nationalists within England is the population has increased. QED.

This is such an odd comment. People in arts and letters warning about some element of society or culture and then that element growing in strength is something that can be found in most countries, and doesn't seem more prevalent in England than elsewhere.

almost as if "England" is more than one person!

I can assure you that they would not have gone through all this enormous effort to quickly install a statue without very careful consideration of the most effective place to do so.

Isn't that part of the point? To compare and contrast the current world 'leadership' with historical figures (which could go both ways).

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There's no luck involved in the fact that you were born to your parents, as they were to theirs. It is right to be proud of the achievements of your ancestors who have, over countless generations, toiled and strived to deliver the place that we were so fortunate to inherit from them. It reminds us of our responsibility to defend and improve that place for the coming generations of our people.

don't you mean _allegedly_ "has his signature and…"

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This statue should be the symbol of "I am 14 and this is deep"

The rise of blind nationalism is a global trend, if I'm not mistaken.

So many people connect this to political topics... For me this is the genius thing about the statue. Seems to be, that quite a lot people are so wrapped up in political debates and political positions, that it has to have political meaning. Maybe this statue is the exact opposit thing of a political message.

Is it that important to decode what author thought when he was making it?

What if the design was made by generative model, does the statue become more or less valuable?

> It took me a minute to figure out why I think it's lame.

> Maybe a more powerful piece of art would have that self reflection effect across the board. As is it feels about as nuanced as "fuck trump" and similar. If you already agree you already agree, if not then you just think it's stupid.

So close. Based on your own statement, it appears that you disagree with the proposed thesis by this piece of art.

> So ultimately feels like impotent art unless I am totally misunderstanding.

Maybe you should re-examine why you think it is stupid/lame. Is it because it calls you out and you don't like that feeling?

Are you trying to be ironic?

I don't think it's impotent at all.

I think you're wildly overestimating the general population's capacity for nuance.

Particularly in a world where nuance goes the same way as wood logs near a fire place.

Yet us talking about it just prompted me to consider how that applies to my life, so something good came of it :)

Next Banksy artwork should depict paranoid people who delude themselves to the point where they think everything is about them.

He is, but like most artists at his level the work and execution is primarily produced by others. He's a brand manager at this point.

He's also Satoshi.

There's most definitely many people involved in Banksy's art - but consensus seems to be forming that it's a man named Robin Gunningham [1].

1. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/global-a...

Don't be part of anything bigger than yourself that treats you as expendable human oil.

You forgot to add:

... that blinds you to any alternative; that indoctrinates distrust in different perspectives; that elevates the humanity of fellow believers above others.

much more sound advice than you think…

Not sure I agree it’s “most likely” when the linked article presents no evidence of LEA awareness or complicity, just one person speculating.

I know firsthand what can be done with a hardhat, clipboard, and high-viz vest. IMO it is far more likely that Banksy is just really good at social engineering in ways that other street artists are not.

The one he's carrying.

Any flag.

And others in this thread were worried about it being too obvious ... ffs

The only thing that we know about the flag is that it a fiberglass flag, so he must be obviously criticising the allegedly benefits of fiber in the diet.

As seen by the raised fist, the man is angry because the operation Epic Fiber has caused a blockage just in the strait of Trump, so is a metaphor about the dangers of having too much nuts in the world. Banski has planned also that the flag ends totally white by seagull activity; so this, always evolving and deceivingly simple piece of art, gives us hope for a future restoration of the blockage soon before we end nuking everybody on the process.

Denouncing the raise to nuttionalism while providing hope for the future. A powerful message.

See?, this is art, everybody can sell anything with a little practice. If they can sell a banana taped in a wall, so you can too.

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I can't get over the flag itself… It's a black flag. Not a British flag, not a white flag,… A BLACK flag.

Historically, the black flag is strongly associated with anarchism, anti-state politics, revolt, and rejection of national authority.

Had he colored it in the union jack, then I would've said it was nationalism, and the person is blinded by nationalism.

But. This is Banksy, black-and-white Banksy, so there may be no symbolism behind the black flag, but it's just very interesting. I can't accept that he would not have considered the color of the flag.

My takeaway is "blind nationalism is idiotic and self defeating", but I'm not British. Is that about Reform (the party)?

very current, elegant yet simple to appreciate - everybody can find some reference there

Is it? The flag is black, so could be a variety of things, not necessarily even a national flag. Just a flag in a march. (Anarchism uses a black flag.)

Yes. This is state-sanctioned think. They probably paid to put it up!

Really makes you wonder about other things as well...

That evil city council..

There's no definitely about that at all. The city of Westminster issued a statement that seems fairly clear that they were as surprised as everybody else but are taking steps to protect it.

What elites are pushing for a progressive society? Doubling down on rule by capital holders isn't progressive, we have already seen it before.

Well, for a failing artist he is quite impactful, isn't he? News around the world reporting about it. People discussing it. This seems to be quite inspiring and anything else but failing.

Got you to comment, job done. Engagement: tick.

He posts on his Instagram to verify authenticity: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXwf7pis6KT

If you want to know authenticity, you submit to https://pestcontroloffice.com/auth1.asp -- they verify / deny, and that is the final word.

His agent would tell the media that your vandalism is not genuine

No, you don’t understand, it’s only British national flags that are bad!

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You can't seriously put Palestine and Ukraine in the same sentence like this.

> The idea that Banksy's identity is unknown is a complete myth perpuated by the popular press.

I know saying RTFA is supposed to be against the HN guidelines, but it takes an amazing amount of confidently ignorant chutzpah to declare something "a complete myth perpetuated by the popular press" when the subtitle of this article literally states:

> less than two months after a journalism investigation into Banksy’s true identity was published

so why don't you share who it is with the rest of the class? why help perpetuate his (her?) secret identity mystique

He also ripped his style off Blek le Rat and the political element to his work is jejune.

I’ve been on this for 20 years. The guy has coffee table books! He cashes checks! He took something that was previously done anonymously and for free, put his name on it and started charging for it. Good luck to him, but anonymous he is not.

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Colonized by who?