After decades of anonymity the infamously subversive street artist might be about to be exposed.
Two disgruntled art collectors are threatening to unmask the artist due to a legal dispute over their work.
Clair Weaver and Bension Seirbert discuss Banksy’s elusive on this episode of The Briefing:
The work ‘Monkey Queen’ has been unable to be verified by art dealers as a Banksy piece and doing so would greatly increase its value.
Pest Control Office is the only body that is able to authenticate a Banksy artwork and is their only point of contact.
Two art collectors are trying to sue Pest Control over failing to verify the painting, which they have been trying to do for the last three years without a response.
But Banksy is known for making fun of the art world, such as their infamous shredding of one their most famous works, ‘Girl with Balloon’, at an auction in 2018 after selling for $1.4 million.
Banksy might be using their anonymity to avoid verification simply because they feel like it.
The art dealer’s legal team are likely to argue that Banksy should be ordered to reveal their actual identity.
If Banksy’s identity is exposed the value of their artwork could see a drop, as well as potentially facing criminal charges for vandalism, trespassing, forgery and more.
“Ultimately anonymity allows him to continue pushing the boundaries with he work he does and that, look, let’s face it, we all want to see,” Weaver says.
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