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Banksy's cover has been blown!
The identity of the secretive street artist has been outed by a Sunday newspaper and, shock horror, he's middle class. But does it matter?
July 14, 2008 10:45 AM
Banksy's Cans Festival. Photograph: Jim Dyson/Getty Images
Gasp, horror! Banksy isn't a fictional character. His cover has been blown. He's an actual person who makes art. Worse than that, according to the Mail on Sunday, he went to public school. He's middle class! He lived in suburbia! What did people expect? That just because he started with graffiti and grew into street art that he was some council estate hoodie with a knife?
The Mail on Sunday allegedly spent a year tracking him down - discovering the earth-shattering news that Banksy is a bloke called Robert Gunningham (who went to the same school as Sophie Anderton - though at different times). Spiced up with old interviews, the life the Mail describes is pretty dull. Bloke has middle management parents, goes to school, likes graffiti, makes some art, lives with some mates, moves to London from Bristol. Not exactly headline worthy.
The question of the artist's anonymity seized the public - and more importantly the media - since he first started making serious money. And that's the main issue. The secrecy of Banksy's identity seems to be much more about the public's fascination with celebrity and money than anything to do with art. Who is this invisible person raking in the cash and why isn't he in the pages of Heat magazine or sleazing it up at the back of Art Review? It's a good piece of marketing spin that the artist himself has played up by keeping quiet. If Banksy is a brand, will it be damaged by his outing?
But from an artistic point of view, will Banksy's exposure make his work better or worse now people know who he is? It may make his ability to make a street piece a little more difficult if coppers can follow him home afterwards. (That is assuming the police waste as much time and money as the Mail has on tracking him down.)
Perhaps in some way it's a good shift in people's perceptions of street artists and graffiti writers. They are not all naughty teenagers. Considering that scrawling on streets became popular in the UK in the 1980s, its not surprising that many street artists are closer to 40 than 15. They come from varied backgrounds and they make varied work. The question isn't who is Banksy. The question is who cares?
The identity of the secretive street artist has been outed by a Sunday newspaper and, shock horror, he's middle class. But does it mat... more -
SCOPERTA LA VERA IDENTITA' DI BANKSY
Roma, 13 lug. (Apcom) - Banksy - scrive oggi il Mail on Sunday - è stato smascherato. L'artista misterioso, il virtuoso dello stencil che ha fatto del mistero della sua identità un sicuro veicolo di successo e autopromozione, da oggi in poi ha un nome e un cognome. Secondo la rivelazione del tabloid l'elusivo artista è un ex bravo ragazzo della classe media e per l'anagrafe ha il nome di Robin Cunningham.
Per il Mail è uno scoop pieno di sfumature e novità difficili da digerire per i fan della primula rossa degli artisti di strada in tutto il mondo. Banksy l'irregolare, Bansky il nemico giurato dell'establishment, avrebbe completato il suo corso di studi in un'abbastanza prestigiosa public school di Bristol (la Bristol Cathedral School) lasciando un ricordo di compiaciuto orgoglio negli insegnanti.
A confermare la scoperta del Mail la 'confessione' di un'artista che in passato ha più volte lavorato e esposto con bansky. Luke Egan, raggiunto dal tabloid, dopo un primo tentativo di depistaggio ha ammesso di aver vissuto con Cunnigham e di sapere che Cunnigham era Banksy.
Sinora l'ipotesi sinora più accreditata Banksy era lo pseudonimo di un certo Robert Banks nato nel 1947 a Bristol o nelle vicinanze. Tra le sue caratteristiche più singolari un'innafferabilità degna del sommo Arsenio Lupin: più volte le sue opere sono apparse all'improvviso nel contesto di paludate mostre e esposizioni ufficiali senza che nessuno capisse chi le avesse portate all'interno e appese tra i quadri e le sculture degli artisti.
Dopo aver iniziato la sua carriera artistica alla fine degli anni Ottanta nella cosiddetta crew "Bristol's DryBreadZ" (DBZ), bansky raggiunse la sua peculiare fama nel 1998 quando organizzò il gigantesco raduno di graffitari Walls On Fire.
Gli stencil di Banksy sono caratterizzati da immagini singolari ed umoristiche, a volteaccompagnate da slogan. Il messaggio di solito e contro la guerra, anti-capitalistico, anti-istituzionale e a favore della pace. I soggetti sono animali come scimmie e ratti, poliziotti, soldati, bambini e anziani. Fa anche adesivi e sculture, come la famosa "cabina telefonica assassinata". Recentemente Banksy ha lavorato nei territori palestinesi realizzando opere e graffiti lungo il muro di separazione eretto dagli israeliani. ... more -
Graffiti master Banksy's identity is revealed! Maybe?
The British graffiti guru, known only as Banksy, has supposedly been unmasked by a London newspaper. (FYI, watch Current's previous story on him, http://current.com/items/76451822_who_is_banksy)
His real name? Robin Gunningham. Yes, it's really badass.
The British graffiti guru, known only as Banksy, has supposedly been unmasked by a London newspaper. (FYI, watch Current's previous st... more -
The real Banksy? Paper 'reveals' his identity
Mysterious graffiti artist Banksy is a 34-year-old former public school pupil called Robin Gunningham, The Mail On Sunday has claimed.
The paper says it has identified the "guerrilla artist" from a photograph taken four years ago in Jamaica, which shows a man kneeling by a spray can. But a spokeswoman for Banksy refused to comment on the report. "We get these calls all the time," she told the BBC. "I'll say what I always say: I never confirm or deny these stories".
Banksy's stencilled artwork appears unannounced in public spaces around the world.
In January a piece of his graffiti in Portobello Road, west London - which shows a painter finishing off the word "Banksy" - attracted a bid of £208,100 in an online auction.
The only solid biographical fact about the artist is that he was born and raised in Bristol. It has often been rumoured that his real name is Robin Banks and that his parents think he is a painter and decorator - but no-one close to Banksy has ever verified these stories.
Now, the Mail on Sunday claims to have uncovered his true identity. The newspaper says it traced the artist using a photograph purporting to show Banksy at work in Jamaica in 2004. Former friends and acquaintances identify the man in the picture as Robin Gunningham.
Scott Nurse, who went to the £9,420-a-year Bristol Cathedral School with Gunningham, tells the paper he was "extremely talented at art". "I am not at all surprised if he is Banksy," he is quoted as saying. Luke Egan, an artist who later exhibited with Banksy initially denied knowing Gunningham, but eventually agreed he had shared a flat with him. Asked by the paper whether Gunningham was Banksy, he replied: "Well, he wasn't then".
Banksy has insisted the public should never discover who he is. "I have no interest in ever coming out," he told Swindle magazine. "I'm just trying to make the pictures look good; I'm not into trying to make myself look good. And besides, it's a pretty safe bet that the reality of me would be a crushing disappointment to a couple of 15-year-old kids out there."
Mysterious graffiti artist Banksy is a 34-year-old former public school pupil called Robin Gunningham, The Mail On Sunday has claimed.... more -
Devalued Banksy
Apparently the Bethnal Green working mans club is not very happy with this new addition to Banksys Flower piece because it devalues the property where as before the working mans club had added value because it sported an original Banksy. I think this is hugely interesting because Graffiti is not supposed to be about commercial value but expression and somehow this new addition is more expressive and challenging than Banksys work although could not of existed without Banksys first layer. The work is now a conversation between two artists I would like to here Banksys response.
Oh and what about Race Walk Ross Kemp? Can I go?
Apparently the Bethnal Green working mans club is not very happy with this new addition to Banksys Flower piece because it devalues th... more -
CCTV busting infra-red headset makes you invisible
Had to share this....
A German art project could help the British avoid the oppressive proliferation of surveillance cameras in their country. The I-R.A.S.C is simple, consisting of a circle of infra-red LEDs mounted on a headband. The infra red is invisible to The Man, but will cause CCTV cameras to flare out over the face of the wearer, obscuring his identity and making this the digital equivalent of a hooded sweatshirt.
This is not a production unit, but given that you'd only need a hat, a battery and a few LEDs, you could easily knock one up in the garage.
Spread this around (especially to our British friends...Banksy, you gettin' this?). Had to share this.... ... more -
Mr. Brainwash Bombs LA - Life Is Beautiful
A DIY art spectacle. . . Wednesday, June 18, 2008 -- 7pm
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Early Banksy piece goes on sale for £500,000
Painted onto the side of a trailer worth just £1000 this early Banksy piece is now going on sale for an estimated £500,000.
Maeve Neal, the owner of the trailer explained: ‘We have known Banksy for more than 12 years. He heard that we were travelling down to Glastonbury and asked if we would give over the sides of the truck as a work space. He wanted a large white canvas.’
Having provided the canvas the couple received two free Glastonbury tickets from Banksy himself, and they're now going to be swimming in dosh thanks to the sale. Just to make things all the more hippyish, the couple have lived in the trailer for the past few years! Painted onto the side of a trailer worth just £1000 this early Banksy piece is now going on sale for an estimated £500,000. ... more -
"smile forever, wear a mask"
I.D:EALISTIC
Masking is the art of creating a mark within a location using a persona.
Creating from the everyday in such a manner as to be unique and provocative
just as the strange can be an everyday event.
www.moenipulation.co.uk
I.D:EALISTIC Masking is the art of creating a mark within a location using a persona. ... more -
Constructive graffiti on Johns house
Somebody wants to contact John so they leave a written message on the wall
Tags: Constructive graffiti John the hat house telephone sexy tate modern art Somebody wants to contact John so they leave a written message on the wall ... more -
Has Banksy had a tinkle here? Plus a glass car
In the loo at the George Tavern in East London 'admiring' the graffiti art work on the wall plus
in the beer garden a car 'made' of glass.
In the loo at the George Tavern in East London 'admiring' the graffiti art work on the wall plus ... more -
Banksy espone sottoterra
L'artista contemporaneo Banksy ha trasformato un tunnel londinese in una gigantesca mostra.
I graffiti dell'artista di Bristol hanno un stile inconfondibile e sembrano realizzati con enormi stencil. Sono ora esposti insieme ai lavori di altri 29 artisti ed occupano un tratto di quasi un km all'interno di un tunnel di Leak Street, zona Waterloo.
Madonna e Britney Spears che si baciano, un incappucciato che brandisce un coltello e la valletta di un quiz a premi sono solo alcuni dei soggetti ritratti da Banksy e vengono ora presentati insieme ad installazioni di auto in frantumi.
La mostra è stata inaugurata il 3 maggio e fa parte del programma del Cans Festival.
English version: http://current.com/items/88929760_banksy_and_pals_go_un... L'artista contemporaneo Banksy ha trasformato un tunnel londinese in una gigantesca mostra. ... more -
Footage From the Cans Festival
May 3rd-5th in London: The Cans Festival is an all day street party celebrating Stencil Art.
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Banksy and pals go underground(ish)
A south London tunnel has been turned into a giant exhibition space by graffiti artist Banksy.
Murals in the Bristol artist's famous stencil style appear with work by 29 other artists in a half-mile stretch of the tunnel in Leake Street, Waterloo.
Images of Madonna kissing Britney Spears, a knife-wielding hoodie and a gameshow hostess appear alongside installations of crashed cars.
The three-day exhibition, called the Cans Festival, opens on Saturday. A south London tunnel has been turned into a giant exhibition space by graffiti artist Banksy. ... more -
The Cans Festival, May 3rd-5th in London
Ahh! I wish I could check this out!
The Cans Festival is an all day street party celebrating Stencil Art.
The exact location will be released 10:30am on Friday, some already confirmed artists are Vexta, Prism, Bandit, Roadsworth, Faile, and Banksy.
It's an open event, people are welcome to come and put up their own work- if you're in London this definitely can't be missed!
Will someone go take some pics? or even better, get some video?
Ahh! I wish I could check this out! The Cans Festival is an all day street party celebrating Stencil Art. ... more -
Arty smartie candy
Food artist Emma Staite's newest collection mixes sweets with art to pretty impressive results.
She has recreated some of the world's most famous artworks using colourful chocolate Smarties, including Banksy's 'Clean Streets Maid,' Warhol's 'Marilyn Monroe' as well as a host of UK city skylines, which all look, ahem, sweet.
Check the link to see the pieces which are being entered into a nationwide exhibition which is celebrating the much loved candy, Smarties. Food artist Emma Staite's newest collection mixes sweets with art to pretty impressive results. ... more -
Uk Street Art
UK Street Art. The blog for graffiti, street art, stickers, culture jamming and more…
We want you to email/post/fax/text submissions of graffiti, street art, stickers, culture jamming and anything else you see fit for this blog.
Email submissions to submissions@ukstreetart.co.uk UK Street Art. The blog for graffiti, street art, stickers, culture jamming and more… ... more -
New Banksy stunt dodges CCTV
Banksy's struck again in central London with what's thought to be his biggest work yet. Under the watchful gaze of CCTV, he managed to erect three storeys of scaffolding to paint his criticism of the ubiquity of surveillance.
Brilliantly, he then managed to go back the next day with some friends to remove the scaffolding, again without being stopped, despite the cameras. Banksy's struck again in central London with what's thought to be his biggest work yet. Under the watchful gaze of CCTV, he managed to... more -
Fluffy but Defiant
Interesting article about Banksy's Bristol
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Become Banksy
Want to become Banksy from the comfort of your own seat? Check out the link and let your imagination and creative juices run wild.
Want to become Banksy from the comfort of your own seat? Check out the link and let your imagination and creative juices run wild. ... more
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