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After a British greeting card firm sued the enigmatic street artist Banksy, a renewed interest in Banky’s identity was sparked, causing online poker and gaming sites to take bets on the artist’s identity.

However, the joke on all of us, as the graffiti artist had actually revealed his name in a newly unearthed interview from 2003. Granted, the interview was recorded radio twenty years ago and was never released.

Now it is finally being shared for the first time as part of a special episode being broadcast for BBC Radio 4’s The Banksy Story.

 

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The famous Bristol-based artist has managed to remain anonymous for decades, often described as “mysterious” and “secretive” by the press, but while speaking to former BBC arts correspondent Nigel Wrench while the artist’s 2003 Turf War exhibition was being installed for Radio 4’s programme, he confirmed his name for the first time.

This was revealed via a press release shared by the BBC:

Wrench asked if he could use Banksy’s real name in the interview, citing that The Independent had already used it, asking the artist to confirm if his name was Robert Banks. “It’s Robbie,” Banksy clarified.

The never-heard-before material also includes Banksy’s defence of vandalism as art:

“I’m not here to apologise for it,” he told Mr Wrench. “It’s a quicker way of making your point, right?

“In the same way my mother used to cook Sunday roast every Sunday and says every Sunday, ‘it takes hours to make it, minutes to eat’.”

“And these days she eats microwave meals for one and seems a lot happier. I’m kind of taking that approach to art really. I want to get it done and dusted.”

That’s Banksy – or Banks – comparing his approach to art – which involves producing graffiti undercover at speed – to microwaving meals.

 

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When pushed on whether graffiti is vandalism or illegal, Banksy advised that we all “Go out! Trash things! Have fun!”, he said, adding that others, in turn, could paint over your work.

 

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Banksy rose to prominence through a series of graffiti pieces that appeared on buildings across the country, marked by their satirical themes. He’s since become one of the world’s most famous artists, but still prefers to remain relatively unknown.

[source:nme]