How believable is Banksy?

Two days ago, a new statue “appeared” in Waterloo Square, London.

Located between Pall Mall and Trafalgar Square and only a few hundred yards from Buckingham Palace and Horse Guards Parade – the new artwork depicts a man stepping off a plinth, blinded to his fate by the flag he’s carrying on a staff in his hand.

The resin statue is allegedly the latest work by guerilla artist Banksy, his signature appears on the lower corner and it has been authenticated by his official Instagram account.

The Pest Control Office – responsible for authenticating the anonymous artist’s works, have yet to comment.

You’ll note the quotes I put around the word “appeared” in the opening sentence. I used that word because that’s the word the media are using.

It’s the word used by the Arts Newspaper, for example. And the BBC. And CNN. And CBC. And the Independent. And the Smithsonian. And LBC. And NBC. And the Times of India.

And on the “trending topics” X page:

The I mixed it up a bit, going for “pops up” instead. And People added the word “mysteriously”.

But statues don’t just “appear”, do they? Mysteriously or otherwise.

They have to be made, transported and then placed. How was this done?

Well, the BBC attempts to answer this question in this article, which headlines “How Did Banksy Erect a Statue in Central London?”

And offers this explanation, via James Peak host of the BBC’s “Banksy Story” podcast:

He’s got a really big team who are a very, very experienced crew […] They’re the sort of dudes who can set up a Metallica concert in 24 hours: groovy folks but actually extremely organised and professional when it comes to getting things done […] They’ve probably surveilled the area, worked out what happens when, gone in the early hours with a low-loader truck and they probably sited it in a few minutes, at the quietest time possible.”

Banksy’s “really big team” of “groovy folks” even posted a video showing how to social media:

This was all done without knowledge of, or permission from, the Westminster City Council, according to the BBC:

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.

So, how will the the local authorities respond the appearance of this unsanctioned artwork?

You might think that police would be involved, and a team from Scotland Yard are going over the relevant CCTV footage even as we speak.

After all, there MUST be CCTV footage, right?

The statue was erected in one of the most recorded areas, of one of the most recorded cities, of the second most recorded country in the world.

So, you get names and faces and the license plate of their flatbed and hand out citations for illegal artwork construction or unlicensed sculpting or whatever the relevant laws might be.

And, of course, the statue will be removed.

Because London is a busy city – a busy city under a “severe terror threat” no less – so they can’t possibly just let people dump 20-foot statues around the place willy-nilly. After all, the next one might have a novichok dispenser hidden in it, or be carved entirely out of C4.

It’s the only rational response: Criminal investigation plus removal of statue.

These things are going to happen, right?

Not exactly.

A Westminster Council spokesman told the BBC:

“We’re excited to see Banksy’s latest sculpture in Westminster, making a striking addition to the city’s vibrant public art scene. […] While we have taken initial steps to protect the statue, at this time it will remain accessible for the public to view and enjoy.”

As of Saturday morning, a protective barrier has been erected around the statue, and there are no plans – as yet – to have the art piece removed.

So, it’s probably staying put for a while.

After all, it’s a “welcome note of calmness and humour”, according the BBC’s John Simpson…

Because that’s the world we live in, right?

We’re not oppressed in the least!

Sure, you won’t be able to drive with out surveillance technology soon, and they want to track all your online activity, they might “have to” ban some protests…

…but if you and a “big team” of your “groovy” friends wants to rock up to the centre of London in a flatbed truck and do some anarchist artwork, you totally can and the authorities will not only be powerless to prevent you, they won’t even try and hunt you down afterwards!

Hell, if it’s good enough – or “a welcome note of calmness and humour” – they’ll even put a protective barrier around it let it stay up, with an avuncular smile for the daring anti-establishment scamps who so pricked Westminster’s pomposity. God bless’em!

But nobody wants to talk about this fantasy land world building, they all want to talk about the art and how meaningful it is.

And – surprise surprise – the critics love it.

And why wouldn’t they? The message is so topical! The poor fool is blinded by his flag – nationality, identity and tribalism are leading him off the edge of a cliff and he just can’t see it!

Maybe we should all have a lovely multipolar global government with no borders or anything!

It’s genius.

It’s like during Covid, when the anti-establishment anarchist Dread Pirate Banksy took the controversial stance of depicting nurses as superheroes to raise money for the NHS.

Take THAT establishment!

Banksy has done it again!

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