Banksy may very well be pressured to disclose his actual identify if a authorized tussle over the authenticity of certainly one of his prints winds up in court docket.
Two artwork collectors are taking authorized motion towards the secretive artist’s firm Pest Control, saying that the organisation has refused to verify the authenticity of the piece Monkey Queen, by which a jewelled primate wears a royal crown towards a crimson, white and blue backdrop.
Nicky Katz and Ray Howse declare that they’ve pursued Pest Control for 3 years to safe the official affirmation that the piece was made by Banksy, with out which its worth can be considerably undermined.
If the dispute have been to make it to court docket, the artist may very well be pressured to reveal his actual id.
Speculation in regards to the graffiti artist’s actual identify has been rife ever since he first rose to prominence within the early 2000s, with Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja and Gorillaz’ Jamie Hewlett typically being put within the body.
However, late final 12 months, a long-lost interview that the artist did with the BBC appeared to uncover new info.
A recording emerged of an interview that Banksy performed in 2003, however which was by no means launched. In it, he appeared to verify that his first identify is Robbie.
Broadcast for the primary time on BBC Radio 4’s The Banksy Story final November, the unique interview noticed the artist talking with the previous BBC arts correspondent Nigel Wrench on the time of his ‘Turf War’ present.
At the time of the interview, a latest article in The Independent had printed his identify as Robert Banks, and Wrench requested whether or not he might use his actual identify within the interview. Asking to verify whether or not it was Robert Banks, Banksy may be heard saying, “It’s Robbie”.
Last December, two males have been arrested in reference to the obvious theft of a brand new Banksy paintings in Peckham, South London. The anti-war piece included a ‘STOP’ visitors signal emblazoned with battle plane, and the artist later confirmed it to have been made by him.
Although Banksy didn’t elaborate on its that means, many speculated that it associated to the Israel-Palestine confllict, given the artist’s longstanding connection to the realm.
Last 12 months, Banksy additionally created seven new murals in varied areas throughout Ukraine, significantly areas which had been badly impacted by the Russian invasion.
