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Original poster

Who is Banksy?

78 replies

saddilema · 19/02/2023 08:19

Is it common knowledge in the Art world who Banksy is?

Is part of their appeal that their identity is a mystery?

Just curious.

OP posts:
IClaudine · 19/02/2023 09:32

Banksy is a Welsh woman.

Candymay · 19/02/2023 09:34

Apparently he went to school in West London and spent time in Bristol. That’s the word on the street here. An alumni of my school. But who knows.
Team Robbo

pinkyredrose · 19/02/2023 09:34

Sandra1984 · 19/02/2023 09:09

Why would Bambi travel into another country with half painter’s banksy canvas and the original stencils? My ex photographed the whole thing with his phone and did the homework to make sure those were banksy paintings.

Show quote history

He's in border control and he photographed the woman and the stencils? Seriously?

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Art & design
MidgeHardcastle · 19/02/2023 09:40

Love his stuff and prefer to not know who he is. I've never thought of him being a woman I think because of a documentary that was showing at a recent exhibition his manager referred to him as a 'he'.

schnauzerbeard · 19/02/2023 09:41

WandaWonder · 19/02/2023 09:12

I think there is a group

I presume originally there may have been one individual who started it off though

Yes,Banksy is a crew.

maryofthevirginkind · 19/02/2023 09:41

@saddilema out of interest do we know why they're known as Banksy?

blippyissilly · 19/02/2023 09:42

Robin Gunningham...

Robin Banks...

Banksy

Just sayin

blippyissilly · 19/02/2023 09:43

He was exposed many years ago

Google is your friend

gogohmm · 19/02/2023 09:45

I personally don't know but my neighbour went to school with Banksy. There's several sculptures here in town from Banksy's studio but they are by a named artist. The cloak and daggers seems have done banksy rather well.

Sandra1984 · 19/02/2023 09:46

pinkyredrose · 19/02/2023 09:34

He's in border control and he photographed the woman and the stencils? Seriously?

Show quote history

He did not photograp the woman (that makes little sense), he works in border control and when a group of people from another country cross the airport carrying bulky stuff that is not your tipical travelling suitcases it’s his job to ask questions and look into it, sometimes the “stuff” being carried gets photographed and put into their intel data base.

BootCampSucker · 19/02/2023 09:46

@Sandra1984 I've referred to him as a "he" because I know he is Robin Gunningham. As per my earlier post I grew up in the same area (Stoke Bishop, Bristol) and know his family. It's not even really a secret around these parts.

Tbh I would hope that the works might be a bit more interesting if Banksy were a woman!

MollyRover · 19/02/2023 09:47

I think that the widely held belief that he's Robert Del Naja makes sense. Their politics align, pieces have shown up in places that Massive Attack had recently played and having such a lucrative main gig affords him the freedom to not have to make a living from his art.

Moonopoly · 19/02/2023 09:47

My Nan’s, sister’s, Uncle’s, Step Daughter went to school with him so I know who he is 😉

HotPotInASpot · 19/02/2023 09:48

I think half the male population of Bristol have claimed to be Banksy at some point in order to pull women.

CandidClarisse · 19/02/2023 09:49

I was under the impression that it's more than one person!

AllOfThemWitches · 19/02/2023 09:50

VainAbigail · 19/02/2023 08:31

It’s Neil Buchanan.

😁

Gatehouse77 · 19/02/2023 09:50

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 19/02/2023 09:04

Well it's not me but I've started painting murals on walls as a way of getting rid of stuff I no longer want.

So far I got rid of a skipful of rubbish and, more recently, a chest freezer.

😂😂

Sandra1984 · 19/02/2023 09:51

BootCampSucker · 19/02/2023 09:46

@Sandra1984 I've referred to him as a "he" because I know he is Robin Gunningham. As per my earlier post I grew up in the same area (Stoke Bishop, Bristol) and know his family. It's not even really a secret around these parts.

Tbh I would hope that the works might be a bit more interesting if Banksy were a woman!

Of course he may be a guy with a team of female assistants and they were the ones who got stopped at the airport by my ex, another possibility.

bruffin · 19/02/2023 09:54

Sandra1984 · 19/02/2023 09:26

Why does Banksy has to be a “he”? I would be surprised if he’s a man as all his illustrations are quite feminine and very “peace and love” IMO.

Show quote history

He was part of the graffiti gangs in Bristol. Definitely no mention of "her" in documentary. Think it was Banksy and the Rise of the Outlaw Art

over50andfab · 19/02/2023 10:02

No idea but I’m going to Bristol for the first time, ever next weekend and plan to spend two or three hours hunting for Banksy murals

Abraxan · 19/02/2023 10:10

Why does Banksy has to be a “he”?

Haven't all the published suspected sightings of Banksy always been males, hence the suggestion that it's most likely to be a man?

A team would probably make sense these days though, which could be a mix of men and women.

BeautyGoesToBenidorm · 19/02/2023 10:16

WandaWonder · 19/02/2023 09:12

I think there is a group

I presume originally there may have been one individual who started it off though

I've always suspected it's the work of a group too, like he took on employees after his initial fame.

megletthesecond · 19/02/2023 10:18

I know someone who knows him. He was part of the same Bristol DJ set in the 90's and then moved to London.

plumduck · 19/02/2023 10:18

I don't think it's me

xJoy · 19/02/2023 10:19

rubbishatballet · 19/02/2023 09:20

He definitely has quite a large team and I'm not even sure how personally involved he is with it all now, beyond the business side of things.

How does it make money?

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