Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Photos: Allegedly Fake Banksy Appears To Be Authentic
By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 3, 2013
Modified Oct 3, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 5
By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 3, 2013
Modified Oct 3, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Yesterday we mentioned a possibly Fakesy up at 6th Avenue and 24th Street, but the piece is real... at least according to the 1-800 number that's been tagged by all of his pieces so far. A reader dropped by this one and it turns out the number is there—when called, if you press #2 the voice on the other end tells you: "Are you looking at one of the great art works of the 21st century? If so, you're in the wrong place. You should be looking at a stencil of a dog peeing on a hydrant."
The narration goes on, saying, "It's a well known truth that the mark of a great artist is his ability to capture light..." he then mentions how this is a silhouette, discusses cartoons, and says, "welcome to the art world." After that it gets almost impossible to hear.
Some spotted the new piece as early as 8 a.m. yesterday, and one commenter noted that the number was there at that time, so it's unlikely it was added by someone after. The recording mentioning the piece seems to have only been put up more recently, however.
The new piece hasn't appeared on the BanksyNY Instagram, where the previous pieces have been posted after they were put up.
UPDATE: Jen Chung is on the scene and has sent in some new photos, showing that someone has now tagged the dog. There's also a blue stencil next to the hydrant.
UPDATE, 9:15 a.m.: Just after 9 a.m., over 24 hours after the piece was first spotted, BanksyNY has posted the piece on Instagram...
Tagged
banksy
dog
hydrant
silhouettes
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
Spoiler alert: It's still 26.2 miles.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 2:36 p.m. ET
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .