Since his stencil graffiti began to appear on buildings everywhere, graffiti artist Banksy has become a worldwide phenomenon. Though some dismiss his “art ” as clear criminal vandalism, others consider his work to be some of the most influential pop art of our time, with some celebrity collectors paying as much as £200,000 on his work.
And though these two factions don’t often see eye to eye regarding Banksy’s work, they can both agree on one thing: neither knows who the hell Banksy is.
For some time, the graffiti artist has been working under the alias Banksy, but following an investigation by the UK’s Mall On Sunday, the publication now claims that the renowned street artist is former suburbia schoolboy Robin Gunningham. Despite the allegations, neither Banksy nor his publicist have confirmed the artist’s identity as Gunningham.
Until now, the only evidence as to Banksy’s true identity has been a photo (see below) taken of a man believed to be Banksy in Jamaica in 2004. When questioned about the photo and whether or not it was their son, husband Peter Gunningham and wife Pamela Gunningham denied that the man is their son or that he has anything to do with Banksy.
Banksy: www.banksy.co.uk