Internet sleuths say this man bares a passing resemblance to Richard Gunningham, widely suspected of being the man behind Banksy.Source:TwitterSpeculation is growing that Banksy was not only in the room when his work shredded itself, but was also caught on film.
It was probably the most 'Banksy' thing that Banksy has ever done.
Just as the hammer was about to fall during a Sotheby's auction for his famed 2006 stenciled spray paint artwork 'Girl With Balloon' on Saturday. A remotely triggered a shredder built into the frame of the iconic piece, sprung into action...
Shredding the artwork just as the just as the £1.042 million (€1,185 million) sale, was about to be made official.
For a moment, confusion reigned as the picture descended into the shredder. However it soon became clear the artist had orchestrated a brilliant stunt.
“It appears we just got Banksy-ed,” Alex Branczik, Sotheby’s director of contemporary art in Europe, said.
Any concern for the purchaser of the piece was quickly forgotten about, as it's expected the half destroyed artwork is now worth more than before it was shredded.
“The successful bidder was a private collector, bidding through a Sotheby’s staff member on the phone. We are in discussions about next steps,” the auction house said in a statement.
Banksy's Girl With Balloon (2006) self-destructed at the end of a Sotheby's auction. Picture: Instagram @banksySo who is Banksy!?
The world-famous guerrilla artist's real identity remains unknown, and many believe this may be the strongest indicator as to who he is yet.
In a situation not dissimilar to speculation in Gotham as to who Batman truly is, rumours began back in 2008 that the name Richard Gunningham could be the artist’s true identity, reports news.com.au.
Researchers at Queen Mary University in London concluded that Gunningham was likely to be the art legend, although the man himself denied it.
“I’d be surprised if it’s not (Gunningham),” Steve Le Comber, one of the scientists, said to the BBC at the time.
On Sunday, Banksy posted a video on his Instagram account explaining how he installed the shredder in the frame without anyone knowing.
The clip shows him placing the blade and later cuts to footage shot inside the auction room of the moment the shredder does its job.
Internet sleuths located another image of the incident, showing a man with a camera phone videoing it (below).
A mystery man films the aftermath of a Banksy work shredding itself after being sold at auction.Source:TwitterHis screen is visible and that angle is similar to one in footage in Banksy’s video.
“The urge to destroy''
Whatever the true identity of the guerrilla artist, he is a rich man with Forbe's ranking Banksy’s personal wealth at around £14 million (€15.9 Million).
After Saturday’s stunt, Banksy borrowed a quote from Picasso and wrote on Instagram: “The urge to destroy is also a creative urge.”
