Banksy’s name has been revealed in unearthed documentary from 2003
Enigmatic street artist Banksy seems to have revealed his identity in a 2003 interview that has resurfaced. After years of public speculation, his appearance on BBC Radio 4 might have provided a major clue to one of the biggest mysteries in modern art.
Banksy was speaking to Nigel Wrench about the non-conformist tone of his work during the conversation recorded two decades ago. The artist was working on his first major exhibition, Turf War, at the time, which featured painted animals — Queen Elizabeth II was notably a chimpanzee.
While discussing his approach to graffiti, he compared his process to making microwave meals, given he wants them done quickly so people don’t spot him. Not all of the material was used in the radio interview, but Wrench was listening to The Banksy Story podcast and dug out a minidisc of the full recording.
Now the interview has resurfaced, fans potentially have a small window into a detail he has gone to great lengths to conceal – his name.
In the unheard footage, Wrench asks Banksy if his name is Robert Banks, to which the artist replies: “It’s Robbie.” Elsewhere in the interview, he encourages other artists to “go out, trash things, [and] have fun.” With that in mind, despite the first name being one alluded to by Goldie, too, there is a very good chance that such a name is another joke from the artist, considering the pun.
Nevertheless, it’s an exciting development for fans of the artist who have long been speculating his real identity. Over time, a few names have been put forward – Robin Gunningham and Massive Attack’s ‘3D’, Robert Del Naja have been considered frontrunners.
More recently, Banksy has been appealing to fans to ask where he should hold his next exhibition, Cut and Run. A model showing how he shredded the infamous Girl with Balloon piece will feature.
Whether we’ll ever know who Banksy is remains unclear, but this information may provide a few more clues.
