Banksy's anonymity has long characterized his career, making him an enigma of the street-art scene. But his ability to remain a faceless artist might have just been destroyed, thanks to former the graffiti artist and longtime DJ and recording artist, Goldie.
As the Metro reports, during a Distraction Pieces podcast released earlier this week, Goldie accidentally referred to Banksy as "Robert" while discussing the worldwide influence of his art. "Give me a bubble letter and put it on a T-shirt and write ‘Banksy’ on it and we’re sorted. We can sell it now," he said. "No disrespect to Robert, I think he is a brilliant artist. I think he has flipped the world of art over." A long, awkward silence follows the DJ's slip-up, as he then tried to switch to a new topic.
The man Goldie refers to is believed to be Robert Del Naja, better known as 3D from the trip-hop group Massive Attack. This isn't the first time Del Naja has been forwarded as Banksy. In a January 2016 blog post, journalism graduate student Craig Williams provides convincing evidence to back his theory up (Williams ultimately comes to the conclusion that Banksy is a group in which Del Naja is a key member.)
Del Naja has previously denied being Banksy, telling a crowd in Bristol, "We are all Banksy."
Banksy's latest piece appeared on May 7 in Dover, England following official talks over Britain's exit from the European Union. The Brexit themed artwork, confirmed to be a Banksy original by his representatives, shows a man chipping away at a star on the European flag. It is his most recent installation since his 2016 piece criticizing the use of tear gas at the refugee camp in Calais, France.
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