A rediscovered 2003 interview with anonymous street artist Banksy might hold the key to his identity, a group of Internet sleuths believe.
If you’re not too well-versed in just who Banksy is, well, you’re not alone. He’s an anonymous street artist whose stencilled satires of society have long been highly sought-after pieces in the art world.
If you’re more into the music side of things, you’ve likely seen Banksy’s work on the front of Blur’s Think Tank record, heard the rumour he’s the bloke from Massive Attack, or seen how he bamboozled everyone by sneaking a fake Paris Hilton record into music stores many years ago. Needless to say, the bloke is a little bit of a card.
However, one of the most confusing aspects about Banksy is his identity. For years, people have tried to nail down just who the famed artist is, with many naming him as either Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack, or a man named Robin Gunningham.
Back in 2017, Del Naja’s role as Banksy almost seemed confirmed after DJ Goldie referred to the artist as “Rob” in a podcast. Of course, this may have been a reference to Gunningham, but considering that Massive Attack band played at a Banksy exhibition prior to this discussion, things appeared to line up.
Now though, an unearthed interview could hold the key to unlocking the Banksy mystery, it seems.
Check out a 2003 interview with a man claiming to be Banksy:
As The Guardian notes, an interview with Banksy was recently uncovered, purportedly giving sleuths the closest thing they’ve ever come to a clear view of his face.
The interview – first recorded back in 2003 prior to the artist’s Turf War exhibition – features a man who claims to be Banksy, obscuring his face with a t-shirt and baseball cap, allowing only his eyes and forehead to be seen.
While the clip shows the man working on pieces which have been attributed to the artist – including a number of animals adorned with paint – his disguise obviously makes it hard to tell if it is indeed Banksy, or just someone who has been brought in to fill the role for the interview.
“I’m disguised because you can’t really be a graffiti writer and then go public,” the man tells interviewer Haig Gordon. “The two things don’t quite go together.
“It’s hard to make an entertaining picture at the best of times but at least if you have something that wanders around and licks its nose and urinates in front of you it’s going to make the picture a bit more interesting.”
Check out the trailer to Exit Through The Gift Shop:
As the interview continues, Gordon asks if the man would mind his details being passed on to the police, before the interviewee simply responds by asking “No. What details have you got?”
Speaking to ITV about the archival interview, interviewer Haig Gordon described the man as “relaxed”, noting that “he was laid-back, he was amiable.”
“I was dreading a pretentious arty-farty type, but he was very pleasant.” Gordon explained. “I have no evidence on which to make an assessment on whether this was the real Banksy or not.
“But it seemed like an organised event. The press officer seemed like a normal press officer who wouldn’t be playing a trick on the media.”
Of course, it’s impossible to say whether or not the man in question is Banksy, but just take a look at that face. Doesn’t that look quite a lot like Robert Del Naja to you?
Check out ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ by Massive Attack:
