Whether it’s the element of surprise in Banksy’s work or his elusive identity, the street artist wins fans by unsettling them. What happens then, when part of that mystery may have been peeled away?
A resurfaced interview recorded 20 years ago may have uncovered his real name. The kicker? The artist may have been the one to unmask himself. According to CNN, a bonus episode of the 10-episode BBC podcast series “The Banksy Story” released Tuesday uses audio from a 2003 interview in which former BBC arts correspondent Nigel Wrench asks Banksy if his name is Robert Banks.
In the audio, the artist responds, “It’s Robbie.”
Wrench shared this old interview with “The Banksy Story” podcast host James Peak after it had played NPR’s unverified audio of the artist from 2005. Naturally, as a self-identified Banksy “super fan,” Peak is looking at the possible identity revelation with a healthy side-eye.
“A name comes out,” Peak said to CNN. “Is it the right name? Is it a clever joke?” He points out that after all, “Robbie Banks” could be a cheeky pun about stealing money.
We wouldn’t put it past the artist to have effected a misdirect about anything made public, which would be just another opportunity to make a subversive statement.
