For decades now, popular British artist Banksy has been creating mysterious and thought-provoking artwork that has resonated around the world. For just as long, though, no one has known the identity of the artist (or, as some theorize, whether Banksy really is just one person).
But now, some believe that they may have caught a glimpse of the person behind the persona -- and he might be a lover of bowler hats.
Locals of Herne Bay spotted a mystery man in a bowler hat snapping shots of a building that was set to be demolished on Wednesday.
Not only that, but the building ended up being demolished. According to KMTV, the construction crew didn't know the artwork, called Morning is Broken, was a genuine Banksy.
This time, he began taking pictures of the construction crew.
By then, of course, the building was already demolished, and the artwork was destroyed.
A Banksy fan and expert named John Brandler told the news station, "We can restore this. This isn’t a major disaster if we are given access to the property and can sort it out."
Taking pictures of the demolition, the construction crew, and possibly the artwork itself, the man had been on the scene long enough for a number of locals to spot him. As of now, the man's identity is unknown, though many believe that this man truly is Banksy.
The farmhouse was hundreds of years old, having been destroyed to make way for a housing project in the area.
Once news stations arrived in the area, the mystery man decided to take his leave. Allegedly, he laughed whenever anyone suggested he could be Banksy.
He declined requests for interviews.
At some point, Banksy did take a picture of the work, as well as it being destroyed, and uploaded it to their Instagram account.
Titled Morning is Broken, the piece featured the silhouette of a boy and cat over top a boarded-up window. The boy is opening a set of curtains, which had been fashioned out of bent metal sheets.
Banksy has been producing art since the 1990s, working primarily within the UK. But, they have also traveled to parts of the US such as New York City, and other cities around the world.
In addition to messages that are often political or humanitarian in nature, Banksy has not been afraid to put on a show. For instance, the Banksy work, Balloon Girl, was shredded shortly after being sold for $1.4 million (and then was later sold again for $24 million, post-shredding).
Despite being one of the most famous living artists, no one knows their true identity.
Over the years, theories have spread about Banksy's identity. The artist has had close shaves with being ousted as well.
In a video uploaded by Banksy, a man in a hazmat suit and mask walks around the London subway, spray painting images of rats coughing or wearing masks in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which had begun earlier that year.
While it's possible that the man under the mask truly was Banksy, the public was still no closer to learning his identity at the time.
Over the years, many have speculated artists such as Robin Gunningham, Neil Buchanan, and Billy Gannon could be the real Banksy, though those have been debunked.
Another popular theory is that Banksy isn't just one artist, but actually a group of artists who work in unison. Of course, there's been no concrete evidence to prove this.
In 2003, a reporter from The Guardian interviewed a man who had claimed to be Banksy, whose face was partially covered by his shirt. But that eventually led to a dead end.
It may never be confirmed, though the locals at the scene last week believe the man in the bowler hat really was the elusive artist.
h/t New York Post
