Loading

Art

Who is Banksy? Banksy’s identity is one of the biggest mysteries

Banksy has remained a mysterious character who creates his street art under a cover of darkness.

Through speculation of years about the identity of the artist has been prevalent and several different identities have claimed to unmask the real Banksy.

On 7 Oct 2018 a painting by the mysterious British shred itself into pieces at the moment it sold for more than 1 million pounds at a London auction.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

. “The urge to destroy is also a creative urge” – Picasso

A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on

‘We just got Banksy-ed’

Shocked bidders and Sotherby’s staff saw in horror as the painting “The Girl With Balloon was torn to shreds the next. Experts now say that it can have effectively doubled the value of the painting  due to the huge interest it created

The 12-year-old painting had just been sold for 1,042,000 pounds ($1.37 million) – matching Banksy’s all-time record.

Sotheby’s said this was “certainly” the first time a work of art started to shred itself after coming under the hammer.

Self-destruct device

A photo posted on Banksy’s Instagram account showed the moment the song was destroyed by the pitfalls trapped image frame. Banksy posted a clip on his Instagram, but then deleted it. Inside, he reveals a video of himself building the shredder.

 

Is this Banksy?

In 2015, supporters were convinced that they spotted a guy who they believed could look like Banksy out his Dismaland installation in Weston super Mare, however was subsequently revealed to be a parking participant at the local council.

shutterstock

Did a British Tourist Accidentally Take a Photo of Banksy?

In 2017 Jason Stellios took a photo in a courtyard close to the Chapel of the Milk Grotto in Bethlehem that showed a guy dressed in a distinguishing fedora hat with shorts and Nike trainers.

The middle aged guy is seen looking nervously as he hangs a can and walking out from a squirt Banksy work. Banksy:” I have not seen the photo, but I can tell you it isn’t me”.  . Banksy was also claimed to have been pictured in 2018 after one of his pieces appeared on a disused bridge.

The pictures of the guy wearing a cap and sunglasses were taken before Banksy had even claimed the artwork as his own.

Is this Banksy?

There are also theories Banksy isn’t be only one person, but a collective of musicians working around the globe with a style.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Sentenced to nearly three years in jail for painting a single picture. #FREEzehradogan

A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on

The legendary street artist

Time magazine selected the British artist, graffiti master, painter, activist, filmmaker for its list of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2010, he found himself in the company of Barack Obama, Steve Jobs and Lady Gaga.

A recent artwork believed to be attributed to  Banksy is pictured in Paris

Is Robin Gunningham Banksy?

In 2008, Robin Gunningham was said to have been revealed as the British activist-artist when a Mail on Sunday investigation printed an images supposedly at work, however his reps denied it was him.

 Is Robert Del Naja the mystery artist?

Fans think the DJ Goldie could have accidentally revealed the real name of the mysterious writer, In a meeting with Scroobius Pip’s Distraction Pieces podcast.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Massive Attack (@massiveattackofficial) on

“Give me a bubble letter and set it’s on a T shirt and compose Banksy on it and we are sorted. We may sell it today”, said Goldie, who has claimed to be a buddy of Banksy’s. Goldie said: “No disrespect to Rob, I think he’s a brilliant artist”

What is Banksy’s real name?

The artist’s casual usage of the name Robert, re ignited theories that Banksy is really Robert Del Naja, the 52 year-old member of trip hop trio Massive Attack.

Robert Del Naja – also known is 3D – is considered a prime candidate for Banksy.

Even though Robert, can really be anyone  there is some pretty compelling evidence to back the theory up.

Instagram

8 signs Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja is mystery artist:

1. Both spent their formative years in Bristol

Mr Del Naja, who is under the stage name 3D, was born in Bristol. He spent the years before linking Massive Attack acting with Bristol based band The Wild Bunch.

Even though No one knows for certain where Banksy was born, his career began with freehand graffiti artwork as part of Bristol’s DryBreadZ Crew from the 1990 s.

2. Their artwork shares several similarities.

Mr Del Naja is really a well known visual artist, whose artwork has appeared on every single one of Massive Attack’s album sleeves.

He began His career as a graffiti artist and is credited with bring the stencil graffiti motion to Bristol. Banksy, meanwhile, is probably the most well known graffiti artist in the entire world  and one who often uses stencils.

Although stylistically different in many respects, there are unique overlap between much of Banksy and Mr Del Naja’s stencil work.

 3. They claim to be friends

While both men have denied the rumors they’re the exact same person, neither of them have refused there’s a connection. In fact, Mr Del Naja told the Daily Mail that Banksy is a “partner,” and that he’s “been to a number of the gigs”.

shutterstock

The artist even made an appearance in Banksy’s 2010 mockumentary “Exit throughout the Present Shop”. Banksy returned the favor by writing the introduction to Mr Del Naja’s book, “3D & the Art of Massive Attack”.

4. They roll in the Very Same circles

Mr Del Naja is favorable with Geoff Barrow of Portishead, and that is a vital connection with respect to his possible second life as Banksy. Barrow interned at Bristol’s Coach House studio at the exact same time a Massive Attack album was captured, and the two men organized a charity concert in Bristol for Tsunami Relief in 2005.

In 2010,  Barrow made the whole soundtrack for Banksy’s “Exit throughout the Present Shop” , meaning there should have been some sort of musical connection or appreciation between the two.

Former Banksy spokesperson Lazarides Rathbone told The Independent: “I saw him at a Massive Attack gig, but preserved a healthy space ”.

5. Clear pattern between Massive Attack tour and Banksy’s work

Journalist Craig Williams helped fuel this theory last year, while found at least 6 occasions on which Banksy murals appeared soon before or after Massive Attack performances in the exact same city.

shutterstock

Del Naja: ‘We Are All Banksy’

On one occasion, Massive Attack played a show at Toronto’s Sound Academy on the exact same day Banksy murals appeared within the city. On another, Massive Attack took a residency in NY at the Exact Same time Banksy’s “The Street Is in Play” popped in NYC. The same design has emerged in Melbourne, Boston, LA and New Orleans.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on

‘We Are All Banksy,’ Says Massive Attack’s Del Naja, Denying Rumors

6. Banksy has a thing for Massive Attack’s music

In 2018, the artist opened the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem — a protest piece and fully functional hotel with a soundtrack by none other than Massive Attack.

shutterstock

The band was also slated to pay Banksy’s faux theme park, “Dismaland,” but cancelled at the last moment.

7. Banksy also cites Mr Del Naja as inspiration

In his introduction “3D and the Artwork of Massive Attack,” Banksy wrote of Mr Del Naja:  “When I was about 10 years old, a kid called 3D was painting the streets hard.”

“3D quit painting and formed the band Massive Attack, which may have been a good thing for him, but was a big loss for the city.”

8. Goldie said the name ‘Robert’!

Admittedly, there are lots of individuals in the world named Robert but only one of them is connected to a fan theory around the globe’s most mysterious road artists.

MOST POPULAR