Totally trivial with the current state of the world, but as a once-Bristol-historian, I just have to mention this:
Journalists at Reuters claim to have unmasked Banksy, the anonymous graffiti artist who has long ruled the U.K. art scene with politically provocative murals.
His name, they say, is... Robin Gunningham.
Which... well, his best friends (and as they told me, myself too) always knew that in Bristol, but who was listening?
In my book, it's page 128:
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Reuters says he recently changed his name to David Jones, at most a few years ago.
"Whether he still uses that name is unclear", the investigation reports.
Details:
The publication makes a host of arguments as to why Gunningham is Banksy, backing up a 2008 report from The Mail on Sunday that also claimed Gunningham is Banksy.
Led by reporters Simon Gardner, James Pearson and Blake Morrison, it details a complex and extensive hunt for Banksy’s real name.
From New York to London, the so-called investigation pulled its key piece information from a trip to Ukraine: Reuters says Bansky was photographed in November 2022, meeting with locals.
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I remember when Robert posted photos on Instagram from his trip to Ukraine with Giles Duley. He posted in Feb. 2023, and I assumed he was there then... But he told me he had delayed publication in order to "avoid confusion with the Banksy trip".
Indeed.
Well, confusion, as usual, not avoided...
The state of journalism...
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Aftermath:
Banksy’s lawyer, Mark Stephens, apparently wrote to Reuters that his client “does not accept that many of the details contained within [the] enquiry are correct.”
Stephens also told the outlet that publishing their findings “violate(s) the artist’s privacy, interfere with his art and put him in danger,” as well as harm the public.
“Working anonymously or under a pseudonym serves vital societal interests,” he wrote. “It protects freedom of expression by allowing creators to speak truth to power without fear of retaliation, censorship or persecution.”
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Additional note:
I met Robert Del Naja quite a few times for my book, studied his work in depth and have been corresponding with him for years. I also saw a lot of Bansky's work and exhibitions including the ultimate 'Dismaland.
I studied art history for a year in Paris, and have been writing about culture & politices for over two decades.
I also interviewed Steve Lazarides for my book, Banksy's first manager and comms wizard.
What I can say is that the two men's art and personality are very different. Robert aka 3D is a visual and sound artist, who's work is voluntarily cryptic. Banksy 'stole' from him the idea of using stencils, it's almost certain, first considered controversial in the underground street art world in the 1980s, then groundbreakingly unseful, and now totally maintreamed.
If they hae a lot in common and are friends, their art could not be more different, and they like it that way.
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For more, a few links in my previous writing:
Banksy is it 3D from Massive Attack? The informed advice of a specialist
Bristol’s original graffiti artists — Reader’s Digest
Bristol Street Art History: Forty Years of Graffiti Arts - Where It All Began
ON BANKSY, MASSIVE ATTACK AND BRISTOL - IN CONVERSATION WITH MELISSA CHEMAM
What Underground Culture Has Given Bristol
Interview: The Story of Massive Attack and Bristol's Underground Culture
Bristol History Podcast - Episode 34 - Melissa Chemam in Conversation
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