Identity of Banksy, Oscar-nominated graffiti artist, proven 'beyond dispute'

I remember closing my eyes really tightly when I heard my mum opening my bedroom door on Christmas Eve when I was around 8 or 9. I knew that Santa wasn’t actually real but I didn’t want to actually see her put the presents in my Christmas stocking so I could keep the illusion alive a bit longer. My son’s similar now, when he lost his most recent tooth he said “If the tooth fairy wasn’t real and you and daddy actually took my tooth and gave me a coin, I wouldn’t want you to throw it away, I’d want you to keep it somewhere safe, ok? Somewhere I couldn’t find it ok? Because if I’d find it I’d know she wasn’t real. The tooth fairy is real though right? Wait don’t answer that, goodnight! I hope she leaves me a big coin this time.” This is like the grown up version of that.

As Chloé Zhao says, "Embrace the mystery."

Yeah, it's annoying how Reuters's story tries to claim they're performing some kind of public service because "transparency."

Not just fun, but integral. Banksy's pieces are always thought provoking, and having them be anonymous makes it like it's a message from everyone for everyone. I don't want it to be just another celebrity for me to roll my eyes at.

It’s widely known in the uk. 8 years ago uk musician Goldie slipped in a radio interview and referred to Banksy as Rob too It’s not a secret in the art and music world. Bristol is very small!

Just like dril. Somebody doxxed him, his identity is out there. Nobody cares, they’re just dril.

I’m choosing not to find out who Banksy is. I don’t need to know, I don’t want to know. Punks not dead.

If that's true then I should be having significantly more fun.

That's kinda why I stopped listening to Ghost. Relentless fans ruined the whole schtick!

Leave me alone!

So you’re saying Banksy is Brittany Spears?! Shocking !

It’s Britney, b****.

This is much more important.

Which list? I can't remember because of the Iran war

yeah often times with anonymous artists there's speculation about all these famous people being them but sometimes it's just a guy whose private about their life. One of my favourite examples is Burial where you had people thinking he was anyone from Aphex Twin to Four Tet to even Fatboy Slim, in the end he was just some guy who wanted his music and personal life to be separate.

This is a great way to sum up my feelings about it

People are definitely disappointed that Banksy is not Neil Buchanan, though.

The man literally directed an Oscar Winning Documentary. We know who he is. This isnt some massive secret.

He’s a British guy in his 50s that you wouldn’t know otherwise. It’s not like it’s big reveal that he’s Bruce Wayne

Exactly!

agreed, the message is the art. there shouldn’t be so much focus on the messenger 

It was never really proven, I think. A decent amount of plausible deniability. I think it was news that he changed his name, though.

Yeah it's been known for years. Banksy is Robin Gunningham who later legally changed his name to David Jones.

Original article was 2008 so yeah, it’s been a while.

"Two young reporters desperate for attention dox a private citizen who just wants to be left alone."

The neat thing is that the shredder failed halfway through as Banksy’s intent was to shred the whole painting, not just half of it. Instead it failed, leaving part of it intact, which I think made it way cooler, but not the message he intended. Also, many believed Banksy (or at least one of his partners) had to have been in the auction room during the sale because the shredding began immediately after purchase apparently by remote control. Such a cool piece and totally worth the increase in cost.

Well how else are people going to launder money so easily?

Except is does get him threatened by governments

Ya his art is dope.

No… *I* am Banksy!

I’m Banksy and so’s my wife.

We are Banksy

I am radio rebel’

I am Alpharius…I mean Banksy!

He's just a regular human bartender

We'd have to see him with a toothpick in his mouth to be sure.

Robbin Banks, clever innit? Like his work!

Yes! I thought everyone knew this for years. I’m shocked this is news.

Lmao Robins been named since at least 2010. its a bit deeper than that

Not the poet Blake Morrison? 

I've always wondered if Exit Through the Gift was really a documentary or in reality if it is a clever fictional story of a man "Mr. Brainwash", told in a real setting. The story of his rising and development of his character as the movie just doesn't seem entirely believable. It's almost as if Banksy had all this footage already and decided to create and tell a story with it. Then proceed to fool the whole world with it.

I don't get how they knew the guy arrested was mid-Banksy piece, though. The work in progress doesn't look like his style yet and could have been any other artist at that point 

100%. I have been a long-time believer that "Banksy" is a collective of artists

Strangely enough, also Banksy

It’s not confirmed. I am banksy and I hired the one who was arrested to do the piece. I hire them across the world.

>His long-time lawyer, Mark Stephens, wrote to Reuters that Banksy “does not accept that many of the details contained within your enquiry are correct.” He didn’t elaborate. Without confirming or denying Banksy’s identity, **Stephens urged us not to publish this report, saying doing so would violate the artist’s privacy, interfere with his art and put him in danger.** >For years, Stephens wrote, Banksy has “been subjected to fixated, threatening and extremist behaviour.” (He declined to describe those threats.) Unmasking Banksy would harm the public, too, Stephens wrote. >**Working “anonymously or under a pseudonym serves vital societal interests,” he wrote. “It protects freedom of expression by allowing creators to speak truth to power without fear of retaliation, censorship or persecution – particularly when addressing sensitive issues such as politics, religion or social justice.”** >**Reuters took into account Banksy’s privacy claims – and the fact that many of his fans wish for him to remain anonymous.** Yet we concluded that the public has a deep interest in understanding the identity and career of a figure with his profound and enduring influence on culture, the art industry and international political discourse. In so doing, we applied the same principle Reuters uses everywhere. **The people and institutions who seek to shape social and political discourse are subject to scrutiny, accountability, and, sometimes, unmasking. Banksy’s anonymity – a deliberate, public-facing, and profitable feature of his work – has enabled him to operate without such transparency.** Their big transparency issues just seem to be that maybe he gets a pass where other street artists don't and also some people can't authenticate the stuff they purchased on the secondary market. **🙄**Not that he had a secret history of bigotry or abuse or a career working for some corporate bad actors. They still concluded that he makes significantly less than his works are sold for on the secondary market and listed all the times he has contributed art to raise money for good causes. But how dare he not work harder to help the guys trying to make money off art that he didn't sell to them? >Some buyers and dealers want greater transparency. Adam Coates acquired a Banksy print known as “Barcode” in 2004. Coates says that a former Banksy director and other experts have confirmed its authenticity. He first sought authentication from Pest Control in October 2010. **But Pest Control has repeatedly refused, thus significantly limiting the print’s resale value.** >Collector John Brandler, who specializes in reselling Banksy’s street pieces, faces similar frustrations. Although Banksy posts photos of his street works on Instagram, **Pest Control refuses to authenticate them because the artist says they were created for those specific locations. Top auction houses won’t sell them either.** Brandler considers the refusal to authenticate as bordering on “market manipulation.”

New shit has come to light, maaan.

No, *I* am Banksy.