HAMMER BOY | Banksy
New York City, NY - United States
ADDRESS:
233 W 79th St, New York, NY 10024
ACCESS:
FREE, publicly accessible sidewalk 24/7
Hammer Boy by Banksy is a street mural located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, depicting a young boy poised to strike an unseen object with a hammer. Created in 2013, the piece cleverly interacts with its urban surroundings, as the boy appears ready to hit a real metal fixture on the wall. The artwork reflects Banksy’s signature use of playful imagery to provoke thought about social and cultural issues. Its childlike innocence contrasts with the act of destruction, inviting interpretations about creativity, rebellion, and youth confronting societal constraints. Executed in Banksy’s characteristic stencil style, Hammer Boy blends seamlessly into the cityscape while retaining a sense of subversive humor. Despite its simplicity, the mural captures the tension between art and authority, fragility and defiance, making it one of Banksy’s most memorable New York interventions.
DESCRIPTION:
This is the only Banksy mural visible to the public in it’s original location in New York. There have been many others over the years, but the have been removed, vandalized or destroyed. This mural is protected by a pane of polycarbonate.
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