Banksy Art Pieces Continue to Pop Up Around New York City

Banksy, one of the greatest street artists of our generation, continues his tear across the Big Apple. In the past two weeks, he’s thrown up pieces in far out East New York, Brooklyn, he’s assembled a truck stuffed to the brim of whining stuffed animals, he’s sold his artwork worth $31,000 for $60 a piece in Central Park, and now his most recent installment pays a tribute to New York City’s greatest travesties.

Earlier this morning, Banksy posted a new piece of a 9/11 tribute featuring the Twin Towers located in TriBeca. The installation, located on Staple Street, drew an enormous crowd as they squatted to take photos of the knee-high stencil all afternoon, which depicts the original World Trade Center buildings adorned with a red flower to signify the plane’s impact. The street artists also put up the same piece in Brooklyn Heights, but it failed to draw an impressive crowd.

Around mid-afternoon, a ‘truther’ arrived and added the tag “Inside Job” with an arrow pointing to Banksy’s Twin Towers. One bystander retold Gothamist how it went down. “I was there. It was a guy on a Vespa, he never took off his helmet the whole time he did it. Before he did it, someone got in his face and backed him off a little distance. There was almost a Banksy inspired fist fight.”

While viewers and art advocates may be infuriated with the ghost ‘truther,’ ultimately it’s the artist’s goal to spark controversy and conversation. The purpose of his art is more than what’s originally depicted. It’s about the city’s interaction with each piece. It’s meaning changes based on its location and how it stands up to New York’s art snobs and delinquents. Banksy will continue to scour the streets of New York throughout the upcoming weeks. Keep your eyes peeled.