Banksy is the most infamous street artist in the world right now. The anonymous artist, whose artwork captures important societal messages, has a very negative view of the press and commercial fame. Although his infamy allowed him to amass a net worth of over $20 million Banksy has claimed that galleries that sell his work are "unauthorized" and according to Forbes, he believes "commercial success is a mark of failure for a graffiti artist." Still, his work is stunning and the public can't get enough of it. One man, in particular, couldn't keep his hands off a piece of Banksy artwork, literally.
The New York Post reports that an unidentified man has stolen “Trolley Hunters," a piece of art that depicts cavemen hunting shopping carts. A description from the Andipa Gallery in London states, “[The piece] sees the artist engage with the issue of food availability and consumption. While the group of men appears to be primitive, as both their pose and their weapons and garments recall those of cavemen, they are pictured hunting shopping trolleys."
In security footage, a Caucasian man wearing glasses, blue jeans rolled at the cuff, and gray running shoes snuck into a gallery in Toronto's West End on Sunday. No one was in the building, and police say that he used an “interior door of the premises to gain entry.” The thief bravely walks in, scouts the area rapidly, grabs the artwork, and leaves the scene. The art gallery was curated by Steve Lazarides, Banksy's former agent and collaborator who infamously split with his client due to difference of opinion. “I’d imagine he’s annoyed in the fact that it’s not him that’s controlling it,” Lazarides told the Toronto Sun. “He’s not sanctioned it, I’ve not asked him, but I think he belongs to the general public and the general public have made him who he is and they deserve to see these works.”