Guerilla street artist Banksy has been ‘unmasked’ following an investigation, with claims now surfacing that he had a ‘secret painting partner’ who accompanied him during at least one trip
Guerilla street artist Banksy has a famous “painting partner” who helps him with some of his massive murals. For decades Banksy has been one of the most famous yet most illusive street artists in the world.
His identity has remained a closely guarded secret as his works have sold for tens of millions of pounds. For some, Banksy’s anonymity has been part of what makes his work so successful.
But now, news agency Reuters claims to have unmasked the artist . It claims Robin Gunningham, who has since changed his name to David Jones, is the man behind the simple yet sophisticated stencils.
In order to unmask Banksy, Reuters spoke to insiders, experts, and people who witnessed him entering Ukraine in 2022 to create one of his famous pieces. Its investigation, In Search of Banksy, spoke to locals who met the artist at the time.
The investigation says that a man named Dave Jones, along with photographer Giles Duley, crossed into Ukraine on October 28, 2022. He did so with another man, Massive Attack singer Robert Del Naja.
The 61-year-old has long faced speculation that he could be Banksy. It came after both Banksy and Robert spent time in Bristol in their formative years, with Banksy reportedly a fan of Massive Attack’s music – the band were set to play his theme park Dismaland, but ultimately cancelled, reports the Independent.
Banksy has also described Robert as an inspiration for his art. He paid tribute to the singer and DJ in an introduction for “3D and the Art of Massive Attack.”
Banksy said: “When I was about 10 years old, a kid called 3D was painting the streets hard. 3D quit painting and formed the band Massive Attack,” he continues, “which may have been a good thing for him, but was a big loss for the city.”
It is hardly a surprise then that “David Jones” arrived and left Ukraine at the same time as the singer. During its “unmasking” of Banksy, Reuters wrote: “Banksy, born Robin Gunningham, later took the name David Jones. (Whether he still uses that name is unclear.)
“And Robert Del Naja, Gunningham’s graffiti idol, friend, and a man himself rumored to be Banksy, has on at least one occasion been his secret painting partner.”
A source in Ukraine, who stopped by the Hilton during Banksy’s time in the country, also led Reuters to consider Robert as someone who worked with the artist. They said: “You’ll never f*****g guess who I met? Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack!”
The singer has previously denied being Banksy. Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2016, he said: “Rumours of my secret identity are greatly exaggerated. It would be a good story but sadly not true. Wishful thinking I think.”
He went on to say Banksy is a “mate” and had been to Massive Attack gigs. He first faced speculation that he was Banksy after a series of murals appeared around locations Massive Attack were playing.
Banksy’s lawyer, Mark Stephens, said in a reply to the agency that his client “does not accept that many of the details contained within [the] enquiry are correct.” He added the findings “would violate the artist’s privacy, interfere with his art and put him in danger.”
He added: “It protects freedom of expression by allowing creators to speak truth to power without fear of retaliation, censorship or persecution.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
