Aside from his painting prowess, part of Banksy’s allure is that none of us have a clue who he is.
Instead of basking in the glory of the impact his innovative graffiti art has on people, the mystery spray painter much prefers to remain anonymous.
He opted to withhold his identity throughout the 90s to avoid prosecution, as in the UK, unauthorised street art is considered criminal damage rather than self-expression.
Nowadays, he remains nameless simply to stay out of the spotlight – and due to the fact that nobody knowing his real name is a pretty huge part of his brand now.
However, it seems Banksy might have accidentally slipped up during a rare interview with the BBC‘s Nigel Wrench in 2003, which the British public have apparently wiped from their memories.
But the audio reared its head again a couple of years ago after BBC Radio 4 did a 10 part series based on the artist – prompting the broadcaster to republish the ‘lost Banksy interview’ for us all to enjoy.
Have a listen to what he had to say here:
Even though he supposedly landed himself in it, Banksy is still daubing his spray paint on walls around the world – and his latest piece has just been spotted in Marseille, France.
Last week, he shared some snaps on Instagram showing how he’d jazzed up a drab, beige wall by adorning it with a lighthouse and the words: “I want to be what you saw in me.”
After he shared the post on Thursday (29 May), the hunt was on to find the location – which the BBC later confirmed to be a street called Rue Félix Fregier in the French city.
This excitement inevitably got people thinking about the identity of the bloke who can make magic with spray paint cans once again.
So, lets dig in to what Banksy said during the interview 22 years ago, which might just put a stop to all the speculation.
When he spoke to Wrench in 2003, the street artist was setting up his ‘Turf War’ art show, which was his first major exhibition.
Discussing his inspirations for it, the bloke who claimed to be Banksy said: “It’s sort of based on vandalism, I suppose. Most people think that vandalism is a fallout word I think, but I’m kind of into it.
“I think it’s the most efficient way of doing art, if you do it properly.
“If you put a cone on top of a statue, then you make a sculpture, and it didn’t take you very long. Maybe you make a lot of people look at that sculpture who haven’t looked at it before.”
Banksy’s latest piece appeared in Marseille, France, last week (Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images)
During the chat, the elusive artist – who was in his 20s at the time and said he ‘drinks a lot of beer and smokes a lot of cigarettes’ – was asked whether his name was ‘Robert Banks’.
Surprisingly, he confirmed this – but clarified that ‘it’s Robbie’.
Although you might think the case is now closed, we all ought to take the supposed unveiling of Banksy’s identity with a pinch of salt.
Firstly, it’s unlikely that the artist would have blown his own cover just as his work was really taking off, as during the interview, he also said that he would not be attending his own exhibition to ensure he remains ‘a character’.
He told Wrench about his decision to swerve the opening: “I think it’s more interesting for people to try and…if you never show up and people don’t know who you are, you’re a character really.
“You can mean different things to different people,” Banksy said, before comically adding: “It’s a shame, because I’m going to have to pay for my own beer where I’m going tonight.”
Similar assumptions have been made about other monikers which supposedly belong to the graffiti guru – and there’s not been any solid evidence to back them up completely either.
The closest we’ve ever got to getting a look at the street artist is in this clip he shared to social media in 2021 (Instagram/@banksy)
In 2008, media reports claimed that a man by the name of Robin Gunningham was in fact Banksy – which even prompted university studies which were aimed at getting to the bottom of his true identity.
Experts compared the movements of the artist and found they lined up with Gunningham, only for the memorable moniker to again crop up a few years later in a lawsuit which was launched against Banksy’s company, Pest Control Ltd.
Wealthy entrepreneur Andrew Gallagher decided to take the firm to court over defamation claims, while also suing a bloke named Robin Gunningham.
But whether he’s Robbie Banks, Robin Gunningham, or someone else entirely – we at least now know Banksy sounds like…if it was actually him talking to Wrench more than two decades ago.
Other clues which could point to his identity as well as his rather distinctive accent include the fact that he’s previously suggested he has a ‘big beard’.
But for all we know, he’s chopped it off by now.
All in all, I think this is a mystery which might be better left unsolved.
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