Banksy’s signature has appeared scrawled at the base of a large new statue in central London.
The elusive artist, known for his provocative works of graffiti, has not yet confirmed whether the statue is by him. He often posts confirmation on his website shortly after a work is discovered by the public.
The sculpture depicts a man marching forward off a plinth while carrying a large, billowing flag that obscures his face.
The statue is situated in Waterloo Place in the St James’s area of Westminster, near statues of Edward VII and Florence Nightingale and the Crimean war memorial.
Though he is best known for his graffiti, Banksy has made statues before, including one named The Drinker, which he installed on Shaftesbury Avenue in London’s West End in 2004. It was a take on Rodin’s The Thinker and was removed shortly after being erected.
Banksy’s most recent confirmed work in London came in December when he said he was behind a mural that showed two children lying down and looking at the sky. It appeared to be a statement on homelessness as the children seemed to be pointing at the Centrepoint Tower, which has long been a symbol of the homelessness crisis.
In September outside the Royal Courts of Justice he created a mural of a judge using a gavel to beat a helpless protester. This was during a period where many people were being arrested for holding signs related to the proscribed group Palestine Action. The artwork has since been removed and the court service said it was legally obliged to maintain the character of the building because of its listed status.
The news organisation Reuters recently claimed to have unmasked the artist as Bristol-based Robin Gunningham, apparently confirming the findings of a similar investigation conducted by the Daily Mail in 2008. Gunningham has denied this.
Banksy’s lawyer Mark Stephens told Reuters that the artist “does not accept that many of the details contained within your enquiry are correct” and said his anonymity was critical as he had been “subjected to fixated, threatening and extremist behaviour”.
