Banksy is one of the most infamous painters in the world, known for his anonymity. He produces thought-provoking street art that has gotten him global recognition. While most of his pieces appear in London, England, he has a worldwide presence for his critical contemporary art. Finding his start in the early 1990’s, he is a powerful force in the art community to this day.
Everyone always has the same question: Who is he? Banksy is an entirely anonymous artist, mostly to avoid backlash for his pieces, mainly because graffiti is illegal. While some say that he is a man named Robin Gunningham, nothing has been confirmed. He has been described by a writer for The Guardian, Simon Hattenstone, who made a claim about Banksy’s appearance in 2007.
“If you see a scruffy bloke who looks like a cross between Jimmy Nail and Mike Skinner, with a silver tooth and a [cigarette] in his mouth, a pint of Guinness in one hand and a stencil in his other, it’s likely to be the genuine Banksy,” Hattenstone said.
Regardless of who he is, his art portfolio says enough about his character. His first recognized piece was “The Mild Mild West” (1997). It featured a cartoonish bear throwing a Molotov cocktail at the police, with the title in the top left corner and “BANKSY” below. This first piece established three things: his name, his medium and his ability to make powerful commentary on society through art. This was the beginning of an incredible legacy. Later, it was destroyed in 1999, and is no longer visible to the public.
Banksy has created thousands of works. While there is no precise number, the art has certainly found its traction, selling for millions of dollars. One of the most famous pieces to be auctioned was “Girl with Balloon” (2002), which started as graffiti. It shows a girl reaching out towards a bright red, heart-shaped balloon, along with the words “There is Always Hope.” It was recognised as being universally understood and appealing, so people easily fell in love with it. This became a motif in Banksy’s work, often being recreated.
Once, it was recreated on canvas with spray paint and acrylic. In 2018, this was put on auction in a thick golden frame. It sold for 1,042,000 euros in an auction, and almost immediately, it started to shred. A hidden, remote control shredder had been built into the frame. Half of the art was shredded before it was turned off, leaving a completely new piece. This prank was considered to be the first art created mid-auction, and was renamed to “Love is in the Bin” (2018). Recently, it was sold again, this time for 18.58 million euros.
Overall, Banksy’s identity isn’t clear, yet it’s easy to identify his art and its impact on society. He is an influential artist with his finger on the pulse, and everyone is waiting to see what he’ll do next.
