Legend or reality

The artist Banksy, is a hot topic of discussion

The Banksy enigma

The "street artist", graffiti artist, painter and revolutionary Banksy, is a hot topic of discussion, and with good reason! The one who likes to be called "quality vandal" loves pizza, although his preferences related to accompaniments remain unknown. He is said to have a gold tooth, a silver tooth, an earring in his left ear, an earring in his right ear. It is said that he is an environmentalist, but he has a chauffeur who drives him everywhere by SUV.

He is believed to be born in Yate, England, while Bristol snapped him up. He is white, mulatto, bald, dwarf, medium- sized, thin and fat at a time. His father is a nurse, a butcher, a machinery engineer, who thinks his son is a house painter. Banksy is a man of many faces, assorted appearances, he is unique in his way. It is stated that he does not present himself even in his own exhibitions or he appears disguised, never revealing his true identity.

The enigma Banksy is the most complete. Only a few witnesses have been able to see him, and they are not certain. A single and unique photograph of the artist was taken in Jamaica, but it does not seem to correspond with the most frequently conveyed worldwide information. He has also been caught on camera during one of his night incursions in a New York museum, but was it really him? Who is he then? One thing is certain: his graffiti began appearing around 1993 in Bristol. Ten years later, his work covered United Kingdom’s walls but also Paris’s, Vienna’s, San Francisco’s and Barcelona’s, with this specific signature that made his mark: mixing a sarcastic humor and a rebellion touch, very typical for him.

Compared sometimes with Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) or with the American Keith Haring (1958-1990), he certainly stands out in the masses by his work. The artist has always refused to give interviews, wishing to remain anonymous so as to deceive justice or to prepare his next glorious feats.

Banksy wants more than anything to remain secret and refuses fame resulting from his approach. For him, there are already too many artistic personalities who would do whatever it takes to see their faces on tabloids' frontispiece. He hates that kind of attitude that kills art, he states.

It is said he would have refused hundreds of collaborations with major companies such as Nike, being unable to accept the idea that while pocketing millions of dollars, young children put great effort to work in unimaginable conditions. According to various sources, he has even said that the list of rejected projects greatly supersedes the collaborations he has accepted. Banksy does not figure to come out of the shadows so soon, in the interest of promoting the emphasis on the plot instead. His latest project: the "cans festival" in May 2008.It was an exhibition that invited graffiti artists from all parts of the globe to come to create their masterpieces in the group; he even offers part of his space for public projects. Despite the fact, he organized it by himself, Banksy was noticeably absent.

It is this mystery that creates the magic surrounding him and without it, the artist would not just probably be at peace with himself.