The Hidden Meaning Behind Banksy's Art: More Than Meets the Eye

As a new series of Banksy artworks emerges across London, an expert delves into the clues that reveal the artist's historical significance.

Is Banksy truly a great artist? This question surged to the forefront when a sequence of stenciled animals, captured in striking silhouettes, began appearing throughout London in early August—one per day for a week and a half. Headlines around the world erupted with curiosity, asking, "What do these pieces mean?"

Warning: This article contains language that some may find offensive.

Was this unexpected flurry of artworks, ranging from Kew Bridge to Peckham and featuring a diverse menagerie including a goat, two elephants, three monkeys, a wolf, two pelicans, a cat, a tank of piranhas, a rhino, and a gorilla assisting a group of animals in escaping from London Zoo, merely a whimsical display for the summer months? Or does this series hint at a deeper message, possibly shedding light on Banksy's artistic journey over the years?

Having meticulously analyzed every detail of the street artist's extensive back catalogue for my upcoming book, How Banksy Saved Art History, which examines how his work redefines the narrative of art from prehistoric cave paintings to Pop Art, I was eager to see where this latest wave of spray-painted creations might lead. As with much of Banksy's work, I discovered that there is always more beneath the surface. Take, for instance, the City of London police box, which was the focal point of the seventh piece in this series on Sunday, August 11.

This particular artwork wasn’t merely a playful representation of a "school of swimming fish," as some initially reported; instead, the circling figures revealed themselves to be a spectral shoal of menacing piranhas poised to strike.