A Timeline of Every Piece From Banksy's "Better Out Than In" New York Residency

Date: Oct. 14, 2013
Location: 69th Street and 28th Avenue (Queens)
Key developments: The piece was vandalized with the tags "Problem Child NYC" and "Banksy x Berdo" within a few hours

The artwork reads, "What we do in life echoes in eternity," as a man erases the piece with a sponge. It could as easily be a comment on the removal of Banksy's own pieces as it is a literal statement about temporality and time.

Heidi Trenholm, a Queens resident, spotted the piece beneath a blue tarp (and shared the photo below with AnimalNewYork) before Banksy shared it on Instagram.

Banksy uploaded the piece to his website with the caption, "Some people criticize me for using sources that are a bit low-brow (this quote is from Gladiator), but you know what? I'm just going to use that hostility to make me stronger, not weaker, as Kelly Rowland said on the X Factor."

According to AnimalNewYork, the piece was already vandalized around 8:30 p.m. ET with the tags "Problem Child NYC" and "Banksy x Berdo."

Date: Oct. 15, 2013
Location: Staple Street & Jay Street (TriBeca)
Key developments: An unfinished copy of this piece was found in Brooklyn; It was covered in plexiglass to protect it

Banksy's 15th piece for his New York residency is a memorial of the Twin Towers. The piece depicts the original World Trade Center buildings with a bright orange flower that makes it look like there is an explosion in one of the towers (but the explosion has been replaced with a flower), as an allusion to 9/11.

Fans have responded to the powerful work with praise; someone even wrote a note asking Banksy "haters" to respectfully not alter or tag this piece. Overnight, the Banksy 9/11 tribute became a memorial ringed in flowers and candlelight.

The following day, an individual stole the flower on one of the towers and posted an image and super weird video of it on his Instagram @lastsuspect, with a promise to distribute the petals around the city. The thief is receiving heated comments for disturbing Banksy's work. In an attempt to preserve the piece, it has been covered in plexiglass and then painted over in blue.

Gothamist also reported that they had found an unfinished version of this same piece in Brooklyn the day before. The piece appears to be identical except for the absence of the tower spires and the orange flower. They suspect that this piece was the original location, but that Banksy was unable to finish, likely because there is heavy police surveillance in the area.

Date: Oct. 16, 2013
Location: Various locations
Key developments: 10 cops threatened the shoe shiner with a ticket for disorderly conduct; The Sirens of the Lambs truck moved the statue just in time

On October 16, Banksy shared a sculpture of the McDonald's mascot, Ronald McDonald, having his clown shoes shined by a real man. McDonald's stern face looks down impatiently at the degraded man who sits on the floor shining his shoes.

This powerful critique on big corporations and the elite contrasts his Twin Tower memorial piece from the day before, but remains true to the strong anti-establishment ideals that Banksy is known to paint about. The shoe shiner himself is not wearing shoes, and the clothes he is in are torn and filthy. When asked questions, his response was simply "No English."

A photo of the piece was put up on Banksy's website with the caption, "A fiberglass replica of Ronald McDonald having his shoes shined by a real live boy. The sculpture will visit the sidewalk outside a different McDonalds every lunchtime for the next week." The artwork was accompanied by another satirical audio file providing information about the piece in the style of a guided tour.

Gothamist reported that at one point the shoe shiner was threatened by the NYPD with a ticket for disorderly conduct, because he was blocking the sidewalk. Before the 10 cops could take any action, however, Banksy's Sirens of the Lambs truck hauled the statue away.

When Mayor Bloomberg was asked about Banksy at an unrelated press conference, he stated, "But look, graffiti does ruin people's property and it's a sign of decay and loss of control. Art is art and nobody's a bigger supporter of the arts than I am. I just think there are some places for art and there are some places [not for] art. And you running up to somebody's property or public property and defacing it is not my definition of art. Or it may be art, but it should not be permitted. And I think that's exactly what the law says."

Date: Oct. 17, 2013
Location: Cook Street and Graham Avenue (Williamsburg)
Key developments: STF tried to tag this piece, but the building owner knocked him over to save it; The piece was then covered by plexiglass and eventually fitted for a permanent frame

For his 17th piece, Banksy created a scene of two women in traditional Japanese dress conversing on a bridge, which is part of the original building. A bonsai tree sprouts from the ground below the women, creating a full composition.

The scene could be inspired by a traditional Japanese woodblock print and a technique called ukiyo-e, making it an homage to Japanese culture. At the same time, it could be interpreted as offensive, playing off of a geisha stereotype and the exoticism of Eastern cultures. If we look at it this way, the silhouettes act in the same way as Kara Walker's cutouts of caricatures of black slaves, which play off of American racial stereotypes.

A man who calls himself STF tried to tag Banksy's newest work, reports AnimalNY, but the building's owner knocked him to the ground and protected the piece. A group of people stepped up to clean up the vandal's tag. The piece was then covered in plexiglass for protection, and later, a roll-down metal security gate was installed to secure its safety. This action has received mixed responses from fans, who are happy that the piece is being kept safe but disappointed that they can no longer view it.

Date: Oct. 18, 2013
Location: 18 West 24 Street between 10th and 11th Avenues (Chelsea)
Key developments: The exhibition lasted for one weekend

On the 18th day of "Better Out Than In," Banksy shared an image of two collaboration pieces with Brazilian art twins Os Gemeos. An image of the paintings was shared with a location and the description, "Are you the sort of person who enjoys going to art galleries but wished they had more gravel in them? Then this temporary exhibition space is for you. Housing just two paintings but also featuring a bench, some carpet, and complimentary refreshments."

The installation was a clear parody of a gallery setting and even included another audio-guided tour. The audio file's narrator takes a direct bash at galleries and the art world, pointedly stating, "It's an art world tradition to ignore the paintings and gossip over drinks."

The artwork was on display for one full day with security personnel ensuring that it would not be removed or tampered with. It was originally reported by the NY Post that the space was rented by Banksy for $50,000; however, since then, it has been revealed that the owner of the space, Alf Naman, allowed Banksy to use the space free of charge.

Date: Oct. 20, 2013
Location: 79th St between Broadway and Amsterdam (Upper West Side)
Key developments: Plexiglass was used to cover this piece (the plexiglass was tagged); Jerry Saltz (New York Magazine art critic) gave an impromptu art lesson in front of the piece and temporarily took off the tagged plexiglass

October 20 brought us another Banksy stencil on the walls of the Upper West Side. The piece shows a little boy swinging a mallet at a standpipe, resembling a child testing his strength with a high-strike carnival game.

One individual approached the piece with a spray can in hand but was tackled to the ground by a fan. The piece was then covered in plexiglass to prevent anyone else from trying to do the same. An unknown individual then tagged over the plexiglass in red. New York Magazine art critic Jerry Saltz made his way over to the piece to engage in a public dialogue about Banksy and street art.

Date: Oct. 21, 2013
Location: 153rd Street and Elton Avenue (The Bronx)
Key developments: A blue tag appeared above the piece, but the piece as a whole is still intact; The building owner is looking to cover the piece

For the 21st piece of Banksy's New York residency, the street artist stenciled a little boy tagging a wall with the words "Ghetto 4 Life," while a tuxedo-wearing butler stands next to him, holding spray paint on a tray.

Blue tags quickly appeared around the Banksy artwork. The owner of the wall became concerned and hired some locals to protect the piece. After that, the owner had the wall professionally covered in plexiglass and a roller metal door was installed in order to ensure the artwork's safety.

The piece has stirred controversy from confusion about its meaning. The president of the Bronx borough, Ruben Diaz Jr, released a statement arguing that, "What Banksy, who is presumed to be both white and English, may not have realized, is that in American culture a white person using the word 'ghetto' can be perceived as racially charged, in that it suggests a not-so-subtle pejorative towards people of color meant to implicitly infer low-class, uneducated and criminal in nature." We're guessing that Banksy knows exactly what it means, and that his use of the word was 100% intentional.

Date: Oct. 22, 2013
Location: 127th Street and 35th Avenue (Willets Point)
Key developments: A man sold cinderblock bricks from the statue for $100 each

Banksy's version of the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt was made out of foam and cinderblocks and left next to a polluted body of water in Queens. The installation is a recreation of the incredible sculpture built under the rule of Pharaoh Khafre between 2558–2532 BC.

Banksy uploaded the artwork on his website with the playful caption, "Everything but the kitchen Sphinx. A 1/36 scale replica of the great Sphinx of Giza made from smashed cinderblocks. You're advised not to drink the replica Arab spring water." While Banksy's sphinx replica has the shape of the original, the artist's version uses skull features instead of a living face. This macabre duplicate of a statue that was once an icon of civilization and progress is a dark reminder of culture's fall from greatness. Alternately, the decaying cinderblocks used in the construction of the Sphinx point out that greatness can grow from the scraps of a city.

A man who claimed to witness "two hipsters" dropping off the new Banksy this morning declared the piece his own and removed the art from the scene. Before taking off, he sold cinderblock bricks from the statue for about $100 each.

Date: Oct. 23, 2013
Location: Online
Key developments: None

On October 23, Banksy uploaded a photo to his website and Instagram that read: "Today's art has been cancelled due to police activity." It is still unclear as to whether the photo was Banksy's apology for not providing art on that particular day or if the photo was the art.

Banksy has proved to be concerned with the accessibility of his work and has expressed his dissatisfaction with the removal of his work, so maybe he finally found the medium where he could express it without interference—the Internet. This "piece" shows everything he tries to do with his art—it is there for everyone, no one can own it, and it cannot be taken down and sold by someone. 

Date: Oct. 24, 2013
Location: Larry Flynt's NY Hustler Club & Cigar Lounge at 641 West 51st Street
Key developments: The club removed this piece and released a statement of their intent to keep it inside the club

The 24th piece of Banksy's New York residency is a stencil of a man holding wilted red flowers. Banksy uploaded an image of the piece to his website with the caption, "Waiting in vain."

A security guard was posted outside of the club to protect the piece but continued to allow fans to pose with it. The Hustler Club's New York Marketing Director, Steve Karel, told Gothamist: "We're honored that Banksy chose the Larry Flynt's Hustler Club New York to share his art. We respect the art and artist; while we'd love to leave the work in place, it's required we lift the gate when we open for business, so after the public has the day to enjoy it, we will remove the door to keep it safe from vandals until we determine where it can be displayed in the future-hopefully inside of the club." The piece was removed from the wall, and its current location is unknown.

Date: Oct. 26, 2013
Location: The truck was originally parked at 131 47th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues
Key developments: The truck has been moved by the owner who is planning to sell it

For the 26th piece in his New York residency, Banksy gave a graffiti makeover to a random truck in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, spraying it with the words, "The grumpier you are, the more assholes you meet..." Banksy posted a photo of the artwork, writing, "Alternative New York bumper slogan."

The owner of the truck has moved it to an unknown location in order to prevent it from being tampered with and revealed his plan to sell the entire truck to the highest bidder.

Date: Oct. 27, 2013
Location: Noble and West Streets (Greenpoint)
Key developments: The lettering of this piece was painted over by a woman in a hard hat and a mask

The 27th Banksy was a stencil over buffed graffiti that read, "This site contains blocked messages" in the iconic New York Times font. Banksy wrote on his website that the actual 27th piece for his New York residency was supposed to be an op-ed for the New York Times. He uploaded a photo of the editorial that he wrote, criticizing One World Trade Center for being too bland, spineless, and safe. Banksy responded to the rejection of his writing with this strong anti-censorship mural.

While the street art is clever and gives New York another taste of Banksy's usual social criticisms, the article he wrote for the New York Times is probably the more interesting part of the art. Throughout the editorial, Banksy writes very critically of the Daniel Libeskind-designed building: "How does it stand up without a spine? It looks like it never wanted to be built in the first place."

Gothamist reported that this Banksy was quickly painted over by a woman in a hardhat and mask, check out the photos.