Banksy is known the world over for his acts of rebellion, sticking two fingers up to the establishment with a series of poignant, humorous and provocative street artworks in unexpected locations. Recently he delivered perhaps his most famous artwork, protesting against the commodification of art by very publicly having his own work shredded at auction while horrified salespeople and investors looked on.
But was all really as it seemed? Was this wanton act of self-destruction the ultimate expression of anarchy and a troll of epic proportions, or actually a calculated and cynical scam to gain publicity and increase the value of his famous paintings?
Josh Gilbert, an artist and blacksmith from Chicago, has some serious doubts. Presenting his theory with impressive attention to detail, his arguments about something being fishy with the accepted version of events certainly carry some weight. “What piqued my interest was the appearance of the device in his video,” Josh explained to Bored Panda. “I’m a maker, so the way it was presented as being constructed struck a sour note with me. I re-watched Banksy’s artwork getting shredded several times and looked at stills, and it just didn’t make sense as a machine designed to shred a painting.”
“I’m also a magician, and when I started looking at it as a performance rather than documentation, that’s when it clicked.”
Being an artist himself, specializing in metal sculpture and modernized ‘art nouveau’ style wrought iron, Josh can appreciate the brilliance of Banksy, even if he’s not convinced by this particular stunt. “I still think Banksy is a famous artist not without reason, and I would definitely not call my theory “facts” at this point,” he told us. “It just seemed like a very fitting conclusion. I think Banksy is ultimately a performance artist and he’s doing a lot to stretch and expand what that means in popular culture.”
“That said, if it had been me trying to pull this kind of hoax, I like to think I’d do a bit of a better job covering it up. But maybe that’s all part of the performance? He wants to keep us guessing and talking about it, and he’s certainly done that!”
Who knows? No matter what you think about the stunt, there’s more to this story, that’s for sure. Scroll down to check out Josh’s findings below, and let us know what you think in the comments!
Bansky shocked the art world recently by setting up one of his works to self-destruct upon sale
But Chicago-based artist Josh Gilbert had some doubts about the much-publicised stunt
Here’s what people had to say about Josh’s astute observations
wait... hold the phone Mable, Banksy was doing something for attention? he was doing something to possible annoy some, amuse others and entertain the rest. Well I am shocked. I shall sit in my gumdrop house on lollipop lane and be shocked.
Can I come to your house? That sounds pretty nice
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Ever since I saw the video I thought this was kind of obvious - simply because the shredding stopped with the picture halfway down.
As soon as I saw the first photo about the shredding I was suspicious. The shredded portion has a curve in the material a few inches up from the bottom, at a part of the image that would have been expected to be visible and flat in the orginial frame, or just near the frame itself. The curve implies that the material has been rolled for a while and has set that way, like hair in curlers. To me this suggested that the shredded pieces had been rolled up for a while, with the very ends poking out straight from a feeding machanism so that they'ed extrude from the bottom, and that the curve higher up the shredded portion was either being pulled out by the weight of the material below, or reflected a set-up where it lay flat after curving around a roller. I thought that it was going to be announced almost immediately as a Banksy prank, but many people really did seem to take it seriously.
Another consideration that should make one very suspicious is that Sothebys would careful check and vet all pieces they auction off. For the painting to appear out the bottom , they would need to be a gap in the frame, a gap no examiner could have missed. This is why I believe Sothebys and the buyer were well aware of what was about to transpire right after the gavel fell.
you're correct. the idea that an auction house like Sotheby's wouldn't figure out that a painting frame had lots of heavy electrical and mechanical equipment inside is absurd.
Load More Replies... The only thing I noticed when I first saw the video is that it looks like the painting isn't in the same plane as the shredded painting. The shredded painting is behind the original. One thought I had was that could just be painting going over rollers. The other thought I had was that this was all a ruse and the original never got shredded. Then I decided I don't actually care that much and we'll find out when we find out.
Besides all his points the auction house would have to have been part of the conspiracy. They aren't going to accept a Banksy work without removing the painting from the frame to verify it is indeed a Banksy. Once they began the process of removing the painting they would have seen the shredder. This is a publicity stunt and the auction house is in on it. They think people are stupid.
Off hand I think I could come up in a minute with a couple of dozen examples of people being stupid so the auction house's opinion wouldn't be far off.
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Has anyone compared the painting at Sothebys' pre auction with the shredded one by overlaying them? The original and the still shot where it stops are the same height. You'll see they are exactly the same height from her head to her shoes (feet). How is that possible with a canvas going through rollers and emerging from the bottom of frame at least an inch behind the face of the painting? The "shredded" one should be the shorter of the two. But it's not.
I did the same thing after writing the post, and came to the same conclusion!
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The only thing I know for sure is that this guy is a lot smarter than me.
Personally, I think it's ridiculous to drop millions of dollars on a painting. Use that money for something else..like creating a charity that helps people with serious medical issues or helping to get the homeless off the street and safe. Who gives a rats a*s if you have a piece of cloth smeared with paint from some long dead artist hanging on your wall. SMH
I used to think that too but can't they do both? Just because a wealthy person buys a painting doesn't mean they aren't being charitable with their money also
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The second video should be/originally was this: https://i.imgur.com/THalnUi.mp4 the article makes much more sense that way
If you look at the imagery on the painting in the front and the shredded painting, they are misaligned. Look at the part of the shredded that is showing, and then look at the top of the girl's head in the front painting. Her head would have to be about 2/3 the length of her dress for the top part to be visible above the frame (reference the photo above) and have the dress come out to the point that it does below. In addition to the curve on the bottom in the paper. Yep. Banksy gets more coverage--great stunt though!
Two facts giving it away and showing its a fake shredding a) the paper that comes out, has a different color to the original art, and this caught my eye in the video even before the "shredding mechanism" was shown, and b) the bladed being sideways, being in no position to cut anything passimg over them.
It looked fake from miles away even to the inexperienced eye... And either way, this "art piece" (or design, like it should be called) is not worth even a fraction of its price. I just don't get what people like about Banksy, specially calling him "anti-system"..... What is "anti-system" about him???........... Sorry I'm salty, bye.
Yeah, like so much "art"- we could do with are left foot, right? Most art is a joke or dollar store garbage.
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I am sorry.....no personally directed negativity....but........der ;)
If the paper is laced through the blades, top/bottom/top/bottom etc then yes, flat blades could cut the paper. Not a fat of Banksy, but I hate the price of sketches from so-called-artists. This was funny
Even if it wasn't fake, it works too well as a publicity stunt to dismiss that option. It increased the value - which was easy to calculate. If the group behind banksy was serious there would have been a many ways to destroy the artwork in a way that avoids commodification from chmicals to fire to to simple color. This kind of "shredding" pretty much keeps the art intact and there is no way the nobody noticed beforehand. The whole branding as "genius underdog artist" is an old, and quite capitalistic and extremely marketable narrative. Popstars are marketed that way. If the people behind banksy really rebelled against commodification or capitalism, they could easily avoid it. Artist who actually lived like that, where often poor and desperate to sell their art. Its kinda cynic to shred it. They could just give the money they might make to artist in poverty.... There are more than enough.
You are wrong, you overlooked something. The reason and sense for the blades you see in 0:11 of the clip. These x-acto blades are not the cutter blades (!). In second 0:11 of the clip you see a black test sheet. And some stripes wrapped around the cutter roll (you see them black or white). Theses stripes are missed at the output area (below the frame). This was a bug during test phase. As troubleshooting they added these x-acto blades. The blades make sure that the stripes could not wrap around the cutter roll sections, they detach the stripes from the cutter roll. So, there is only one sheet, partially cutted. No second one. ... and maybe it is the reason why the shredding act stopped. Because one (or more) blade loosened while cutting and blocked the system!
You are wrong, you overlooked something. The reason and sense for the blades you see in 0:11 of the clip. These x-acto blades are not the cutter blades (!). In second 0:11 of the clip you see a black test sheet. And some stripes wrapped around the cutter roll (you see them black or white). Theses stripes are missed at the output area (below the frame). This was a bug during test phase. As troubleshooting they added these x-acto blades. The blades make sure that the stripes could not wrap around the cutter roll sections, they detach the stripes from the cutter roll. So, there is only one sheet, partially cutted. No second one.
... and maybe it is the reason why the shredding act stopped. Because one (or more) blade loosened while cutting and blocked the system!
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Banksy isfake, it is not art at all. He do ow quality probaganda, and also means what he is sayin by he'sart, taking money out from that, rich buy probaganda from him what supports their illegal idologies.This example was extreme propaganda about violeting love lost child, not amusing, but extreme cruel. you just dont know how to read art and it has implications what as impact to subconcousness. When you but this art piece to words describe it you will notce that idelogy is inhuman twisted sic do this kind of art, worse pays from it.
Look I love Banksy as much as the next person but I thought this (pretty obvious) troll was getting a bit passe. Not very imaginative.
Actually i always thought this "Banksy" thing is just a magic trick in Art marketing. More of a "Cultural investment". How much was it? £1,042,000?..U would think the gallery didnt do a ct scan to the artwork before it was displayed. If u follow how urban artist and designers can be accepted as part of the glamour side of the Artworld. By accepted i mean collectors have a good reason to buy an artwork.
Hah!.....This is great all around! It is a great trick on so many levels. Yes the shredding is a trick...see how the shredded "painting" is curled, like on a roll. BUT it is still worth the price, especially after all the media attention. BRILLIANT. Also, the intact painting is still in the frame!!!
What if Banksy did not think to film the making of the frame, and decided he wanted to after he'd lost possession? He'd have faked up something using what was handy in the studio, like Exacto blades. It still doesn't add up though, as the artwork was made in 2006 (I believe) but still had power 12 years later. Is there such a thing as a battery that would hold its charge for 12 years? I don't know.
Maybe, just maybe, this whole stunt was to steal the spotlight of the "Feminist" Painting being promoted as highlight of that day up front with her record high price for a living Female artist! Was it a coincidence it happened to be a Feminist artist??? Now that is even more genius!!!!
The lamp shown in the background is an IKEA Forsa work light in green, which wasn't available on their website until sometime after February 2018, so it seems unlikely that the video predates that as claimed. Or maybe Banksy spray-painted a chrome/black/blue version (he's good at that kind of thing...).
I think it all goes to prove that the value of art is an extremely subjective thing, and that the whole system is based on quite contrived standards. Either way, I think Banksy gets to make a statement about the irony of it all, and in the process, his art apparently doubled in price!
I think this is right on the money. The whole thing seems weird and just off.
How much time do you have to waste thinking / giving a s**t about things like this..... FFS
Hey everyone! It's Gaz McGuffman, the internationally known deep thinker who doesn't have time for this s**t!!
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Thanks for this article. It's spot on. Which makes me think... knowing Banksy's technical skill level, the video (with the silly blades) was obviously designed to tip people off... So this is actually a bigger artwork, a very Derren Brown -style lesson in misdirection and on how easy it is to fool people.
(2) Shouldn't Sotheby's asses be in a sling for allowing a box loaded with batteries, wires, shrapnel and a receiver-trigger in the same room with VIP's, not mentioning other works of art in close proximity??
Exactly. get the attention if you know yourself that your art is pure hype.
I wondered how they wouldn't notice the extra weight and thickness. If Banksy put the shredder in a few years ago, as he claims, he must have access to way better batteries than me. Either way it's a great stunt and I'm still a big Banksy fan.
The vertical alignment doesn't match, check the girl's head it when it drops.
Why? Banksy did right by that guy. He had no idea that someone was living in that tank. When he did find out, he paid for Covington to find an apartment, get on his feet, and enough to pay for bills for a full year. Covington himself was quoted as saying, "There ain’t no better man than Banksy, he was an angel to me. He helped me more than anybody helped me in my life.” And when the people that removed the tank went to Banksy to have it authenticated so they could sell it, Banksy refused to certify it. Sounds like a pretty good guy to me.
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Whether the piece was shredded or not Banksy is brilliant. He is a genius t keeping himself relevant and talked about.
I don't believe there even is a "Banksy". I think it is a group of douchey artists who made this while thing up...
Here is a link to the original post where you can see I included a link to TopKnots YouTube channel. Which you would know if you had bothered to try and find the actual creator of THIS post... https://imgur.com/gallery/O1TUmwD
Load More Replies... took me like three hours spread out over a couple days to put this together my dude.. less time than you probably spent playing fortnite on a Wednesday..
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wait... hold the phone Mable, Banksy was doing something for attention? he was doing something to possible annoy some, amuse others and entertain the rest. Well I am shocked. I shall sit in my gumdrop house on lollipop lane and be shocked.
Can I come to your house? That sounds pretty nice
Load More Replies... Ever since I saw the video I thought this was kind of obvious - simply because the shredding stopped with the picture halfway down.
As soon as I saw the first photo about the shredding I was suspicious. The shredded portion has a curve in the material a few inches up from the bottom, at a part of the image that would have been expected to be visible and flat in the orginial frame, or just near the frame itself. The curve implies that the material has been rolled for a while and has set that way, like hair in curlers. To me this suggested that the shredded pieces had been rolled up for a while, with the very ends poking out straight from a feeding machanism so that they'ed extrude from the bottom, and that the curve higher up the shredded portion was either being pulled out by the weight of the material below, or reflected a set-up where it lay flat after curving around a roller. I thought that it was going to be announced almost immediately as a Banksy prank, but many people really did seem to take it seriously.
Another consideration that should make one very suspicious is that Sothebys would careful check and vet all pieces they auction off. For the painting to appear out the bottom , they would need to be a gap in the frame, a gap no examiner could have missed. This is why I believe Sothebys and the buyer were well aware of what was about to transpire right after the gavel fell.
you're correct. the idea that an auction house like Sotheby's wouldn't figure out that a painting frame had lots of heavy electrical and mechanical equipment inside is absurd.
Load More Replies... The only thing I noticed when I first saw the video is that it looks like the painting isn't in the same plane as the shredded painting. The shredded painting is behind the original. One thought I had was that could just be painting going over rollers. The other thought I had was that this was all a ruse and the original never got shredded. Then I decided I don't actually care that much and we'll find out when we find out.
Besides all his points the auction house would have to have been part of the conspiracy. They aren't going to accept a Banksy work without removing the painting from the frame to verify it is indeed a Banksy. Once they began the process of removing the painting they would have seen the shredder. This is a publicity stunt and the auction house is in on it. They think people are stupid.
Off hand I think I could come up in a minute with a couple of dozen examples of people being stupid so the auction house's opinion wouldn't be far off.
Load More Replies... Has anyone compared the painting at Sothebys' pre auction with the shredded one by overlaying them? The original and the still shot where it stops are the same height. You'll see they are exactly the same height from her head to her shoes (feet). How is that possible with a canvas going through rollers and emerging from the bottom of frame at least an inch behind the face of the painting? The "shredded" one should be the shorter of the two. But it's not.
I did the same thing after writing the post, and came to the same conclusion!
Load More Replies... The only thing I know for sure is that this guy is a lot smarter than me.
Personally, I think it's ridiculous to drop millions of dollars on a painting. Use that money for something else..like creating a charity that helps people with serious medical issues or helping to get the homeless off the street and safe. Who gives a rats a*s if you have a piece of cloth smeared with paint from some long dead artist hanging on your wall. SMH
I used to think that too but can't they do both? Just because a wealthy person buys a painting doesn't mean they aren't being charitable with their money also
Load More Replies... The second video should be/originally was this: https://i.imgur.com/THalnUi.mp4 the article makes much more sense that way
If you look at the imagery on the painting in the front and the shredded painting, they are misaligned. Look at the part of the shredded that is showing, and then look at the top of the girl's head in the front painting. Her head would have to be about 2/3 the length of her dress for the top part to be visible above the frame (reference the photo above) and have the dress come out to the point that it does below. In addition to the curve on the bottom in the paper. Yep. Banksy gets more coverage--great stunt though!
Two facts giving it away and showing its a fake shredding a) the paper that comes out, has a different color to the original art, and this caught my eye in the video even before the "shredding mechanism" was shown, and b) the bladed being sideways, being in no position to cut anything passimg over them.
It looked fake from miles away even to the inexperienced eye... And either way, this "art piece" (or design, like it should be called) is not worth even a fraction of its price. I just don't get what people like about Banksy, specially calling him "anti-system"..... What is "anti-system" about him???........... Sorry I'm salty, bye.
Yeah, like so much "art"- we could do with are left foot, right? Most art is a joke or dollar store garbage.
Load More Replies... I am sorry.....no personally directed negativity....but........der ;)
If the paper is laced through the blades, top/bottom/top/bottom etc then yes, flat blades could cut the paper. Not a fat of Banksy, but I hate the price of sketches from so-called-artists. This was funny
Even if it wasn't fake, it works too well as a publicity stunt to dismiss that option. It increased the value - which was easy to calculate. If the group behind banksy was serious there would have been a many ways to destroy the artwork in a way that avoids commodification from chmicals to fire to to simple color. This kind of "shredding" pretty much keeps the art intact and there is no way the nobody noticed beforehand. The whole branding as "genius underdog artist" is an old, and quite capitalistic and extremely marketable narrative. Popstars are marketed that way. If the people behind banksy really rebelled against commodification or capitalism, they could easily avoid it. Artist who actually lived like that, where often poor and desperate to sell their art. Its kinda cynic to shred it. They could just give the money they might make to artist in poverty.... There are more than enough.
You are wrong, you overlooked something. The reason and sense for the blades you see in 0:11 of the clip. These x-acto blades are not the cutter blades (!). In second 0:11 of the clip you see a black test sheet. And some stripes wrapped around the cutter roll (you see them black or white). Theses stripes are missed at the output area (below the frame). This was a bug during test phase. As troubleshooting they added these x-acto blades. The blades make sure that the stripes could not wrap around the cutter roll sections, they detach the stripes from the cutter roll. So, there is only one sheet, partially cutted. No second one. ... and maybe it is the reason why the shredding act stopped. Because one (or more) blade loosened while cutting and blocked the system!
You are wrong, you overlooked something. The reason and sense for the blades you see in 0:11 of the clip. These x-acto blades are not the cutter blades (!). In second 0:11 of the clip you see a black test sheet. And some stripes wrapped around the cutter roll (you see them black or white). Theses stripes are missed at the output area (below the frame). This was a bug during test phase. As troubleshooting they added these x-acto blades. The blades make sure that the stripes could not wrap around the cutter roll sections, they detach the stripes from the cutter roll. So, there is only one sheet, partially cutted. No second one.
... and maybe it is the reason why the shredding act stopped. Because one (or more) blade loosened while cutting and blocked the system!
Load More Replies... Banksy isfake, it is not art at all. He do ow quality probaganda, and also means what he is sayin by he'sart, taking money out from that, rich buy probaganda from him what supports their illegal idologies.This example was extreme propaganda about violeting love lost child, not amusing, but extreme cruel. you just dont know how to read art and it has implications what as impact to subconcousness. When you but this art piece to words describe it you will notce that idelogy is inhuman twisted sic do this kind of art, worse pays from it.
Look I love Banksy as much as the next person but I thought this (pretty obvious) troll was getting a bit passe. Not very imaginative.
Actually i always thought this "Banksy" thing is just a magic trick in Art marketing. More of a "Cultural investment". How much was it? £1,042,000?..U would think the gallery didnt do a ct scan to the artwork before it was displayed. If u follow how urban artist and designers can be accepted as part of the glamour side of the Artworld. By accepted i mean collectors have a good reason to buy an artwork.
Hah!.....This is great all around! It is a great trick on so many levels. Yes the shredding is a trick...see how the shredded "painting" is curled, like on a roll. BUT it is still worth the price, especially after all the media attention. BRILLIANT. Also, the intact painting is still in the frame!!!
What if Banksy did not think to film the making of the frame, and decided he wanted to after he'd lost possession? He'd have faked up something using what was handy in the studio, like Exacto blades. It still doesn't add up though, as the artwork was made in 2006 (I believe) but still had power 12 years later. Is there such a thing as a battery that would hold its charge for 12 years? I don't know.
Maybe, just maybe, this whole stunt was to steal the spotlight of the "Feminist" Painting being promoted as highlight of that day up front with her record high price for a living Female artist! Was it a coincidence it happened to be a Feminist artist??? Now that is even more genius!!!!
The lamp shown in the background is an IKEA Forsa work light in green, which wasn't available on their website until sometime after February 2018, so it seems unlikely that the video predates that as claimed. Or maybe Banksy spray-painted a chrome/black/blue version (he's good at that kind of thing...).
I think it all goes to prove that the value of art is an extremely subjective thing, and that the whole system is based on quite contrived standards. Either way, I think Banksy gets to make a statement about the irony of it all, and in the process, his art apparently doubled in price!
I think this is right on the money. The whole thing seems weird and just off.
How much time do you have to waste thinking / giving a s**t about things like this..... FFS
Hey everyone! It's Gaz McGuffman, the internationally known deep thinker who doesn't have time for this s**t!!
Load More Replies... Thanks for this article. It's spot on. Which makes me think... knowing Banksy's technical skill level, the video (with the silly blades) was obviously designed to tip people off... So this is actually a bigger artwork, a very Derren Brown -style lesson in misdirection and on how easy it is to fool people.
(2) Shouldn't Sotheby's asses be in a sling for allowing a box loaded with batteries, wires, shrapnel and a receiver-trigger in the same room with VIP's, not mentioning other works of art in close proximity??
Exactly. get the attention if you know yourself that your art is pure hype.
I wondered how they wouldn't notice the extra weight and thickness. If Banksy put the shredder in a few years ago, as he claims, he must have access to way better batteries than me. Either way it's a great stunt and I'm still a big Banksy fan.
The vertical alignment doesn't match, check the girl's head it when it drops.
Why? Banksy did right by that guy. He had no idea that someone was living in that tank. When he did find out, he paid for Covington to find an apartment, get on his feet, and enough to pay for bills for a full year. Covington himself was quoted as saying, "There ain’t no better man than Banksy, he was an angel to me. He helped me more than anybody helped me in my life.” And when the people that removed the tank went to Banksy to have it authenticated so they could sell it, Banksy refused to certify it. Sounds like a pretty good guy to me.
Load More Replies... Whether the piece was shredded or not Banksy is brilliant. He is a genius t keeping himself relevant and talked about.
I don't believe there even is a "Banksy". I think it is a group of douchey artists who made this while thing up...
Here is a link to the original post where you can see I included a link to TopKnots YouTube channel. Which you would know if you had bothered to try and find the actual creator of THIS post... https://imgur.com/gallery/O1TUmwD
Load More Replies... took me like three hours spread out over a couple days to put this together my dude.. less time than you probably spent playing fortnite on a Wednesday..
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