No one outside the inside circle knows the identity of street artist Banksy. Is a Welsh local politician responsible for the world-famous works of art in public space? Apparently so many people believe that the man no longer has time for his office.
A local politician in Wales has resigned after being mistaken for the famous anonymous graffiti artist Banksy too often. Welshman William Gannon told the BBC that the “quite ridiculous” allegations had been circulated on various social networks.
He was asked to prove he wasn’t Banksy so many times that it hampered his ability to do political work. Why Gannon was mistaken for the world-renowned artist remained unclear.
Finally, the city councilor even had a badge made with the inscription “I am not Banksy” (German: “I’m not Banksy”). Instead of being involved in local politics, Gannon now wants to be an artist again, as he has been in the past. However, Banksy is very welcome to leave a work in the Welsh town of Pembroke Dock, Gannon said. “That would do us a lot of good, especially for our tourism.”
The identity of the famous street artist Banksy is still unknown. He regularly leaves works of art in public places in the UK and far beyond – often with a socially critical tenor. Works by Banksy are sold at major auction houses around the world for millions of euros, even if it is not always conclusively clarified whether the works attributed to the artist really come from him. However, Banksy usually verifies his own pictures on his Instagram page.
Again and again there is speculation that Banksy could have been exposed. One of the most popular theories in recent years has been that the artist is Robert del Naja, head of the globally successful band Massive Attack. Or is Banksy really a local Welsh politician?
