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Reuters conducted a thousands-of-words investigation, in which it claims to have found out who Banksy is, the great graffiti artist from Bristol.
Banksy himself, through his long-time lawyer Mark Stephens, did not confirm the findings of the investigation, and specifically responded that “he does not accept that many of the details contained in your investigation are correct.”
This, of course, is not exactly a denial.
He himself urged journalists not to publish the name in their investigation, for the protection of his privacy, for freedom of expression, and so that he can critique authority without fear of retaliation.
Graffiti, moreover, remains illegal without permission.
In the end, the journalists said that “those who seek to shape social and political discourse are subject to scrutiny, accountability, and, at times, the revelation of their identity.”
Reuters’ response concludes that “Banksy’s anonymity – a deliberate, public-facing and profitable feature of his work – has allowed him to operate without such transparency.”
As for the risk of retaliation or censorship he might face, Reuters states that “the legal and political establishments of Great Britain appear to be comfortable with Banksy’s messages and the way he delivers them.”
So, who is Banksy after all?
Several pieces of evidence put Banksy’s anonymity at risk; however, if we had to identify a beginning and an end, ground zero is his arrest in New York in 2000, and the final “blow” is his trip to Ukraine in 2022, to Horenka, to create graffiti.
Of course, this journey hides many twists, and ultimately, even now Banksy cannot be definitively identified, despite the relative certainty of the name revealed by Reuters.
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For the graffiti in Ukraine, a group of three people traveled to the war-torn country.
One was identified as photographer Giles Duley, who, as he donates ambulances to local NGOs in Ukraine, also lent one to Banksy for his trip there; he was present as well, while the other two remained anonymous.
A resident, however, claimed that she made coffee for the two men who (at least one of them) were responsible for the graffiti, and who removed their masks in front of her.
The journalists showed her photos of three candidates who could be Banksy:
Guetta was considered unlikely, as he is French, while Banksy is from Bristol.
The resident answered “no” to every photo shown to her; however, upon seeing the photo of one of the three, “her eyes widened.” That was 3D.
One of the main theories about 3D is that at many Massive Attack live shows, a Banksy mural would appear nearby; however, this, like the woman’s reaction, does not constitute proof.
What appears to be confirmed by the investigation is that 3D did indeed travel to Ukraine (something not confirmed for Gunningham) and was indeed part of that group.
So who is the third man in the group?
To answer this, we must go back to 2000, when Banksy was in New York and attempted to paint a billboard, failing to complete his work because he was arrested.
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Before his arrest, Banksy had lived for months at the Carlton Arms hotel, which allowed artists to stay for free in exchange for decorating their rooms.
The same happened with Banksy, although the hotel listed the artist as “Robin Banks.” Something about “Robin,” something about “Banks.”
In court documents filed in relation to his 2000 arrest, Banksy listed the Carlton Arms hotel in New York as his place of residence.
But who was the man the authorities arrested?
That man was not Robert Del Naja, but Robin Gunningham.
The question, however, is how Banksy can be Robin Gunningham, while in the entry and exit records from Ukraine the name “Robin Gunningham” does not appear anywhere—and it is now more or less established that Banksy is both the man arrested in New York and the one who created the graffiti in Ukraine.
In 2004, a conflict between Banksy and Jamaican photographer and collaborator Peter Dean Rickards nearly exposed his identity once and for all.
Rickards did not publish the artist’s real name, but uploaded 21 photos of him at work in Jamaica, in 14 of which Banksy’s face is visible.
Part of the British (tabloid) press, not missing the opportunity, published one image of him under the headline “Finally revealed.”
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His then-manager, Steve Lazarides, denied it, but in 2008 The Mail published the name “Robin Gunningham” as the man behind Banksy, along with his photograph.
Immediately afterward, Gunningham disappears, which ultimately explains the absence of that name from Ukraine’s records.
This is because he proceeded with a legal name change, through the same manager, who carried it out before they parted ways, saying that safeguarding Banksy’s anonymity was like a “disease.”
…David Jones.
It is not clear whether Banksy still uses this name, but David Jones appears in the entry and exit records from Ukraine, during the same period as 3D.
It is one of the most common names in Great Britain, thus allowing Banksy to move freely.
As for the beloved 3D, Robert Del Naja, he is Gunningham’s idol in the graffiti scene, his friend, and a man who has been, at least once, his secret collaborator in painting.
Banksy’s art now costs millions, and he himself has earned a share from it, although most of it does not go to him.
He has, of course, a very strong social and anti-capitalist body of work (see previous explainer).
What does he say? “I tell myself I use art to promote dissent, but I might simply be using dissent to promote my art. I don’t admit that I’ve sold out. But I admit it from a house bigger than the one I used to live in.”
Although the records are public, Reuters “does not disclose which ones were used, in order to reduce the chances of revealing Banksy’s address and other personal information.”
The revelation, however, has been made. But does it change anything?
Lazarides, before the discovery of the name David Jones, had warned that it would be a dead end to look for Robin Gunningham, because he had “killed that name years ago.” He wasn’t entirely right—but he also said this: “In his lifetime, you’re never going to find him.”
