Top 10 Fun Facts About Banksy
We’ve all heard of Banksy, but how much do you know about him? Did you know that he began his street art career in a graffiti crew? Or that his artwork has appeared at Glastonbury festival numerous times? Read on for some of the most interesting facts about Banksy, the street art legend.
1 – Banksy Began In Bristol’s Graffiti Group DryBreadZ Crew (DBZ)
Did you know Banksy began his career as a street artist in DryBreadZ Crew (DBZ)? This was a graffiti art crew based in Bristol in the early 1990s, as part of the Bristol underground art scene.
Some other members of DBZ include Kato and Tes. During his time as a member of DBZ, Banksy mainly completed freehand graffiti art, until he left in 1994.
2 - Banksy’s Art Appeared at Glastonbury in 2023
Banksy's art has appeared at Glastonbury several times, most recently in 2023. During the Idles set at the Other Stage, Banksy arranged the launch of an inflatable life raft filled with dummy migrants.
Many people in the crowd assumed this was a part of the performance, but got people talking about immigration issues. Banksy later claimed this piece as his own through Instagram. This wasn’t the first time Banksy evoked conversations about immigration…
- Anti-immigration Birds – In 2014, Banksy created a mural depicting grey pigeons holding anti-immigration signs, with a more colourful bird looking on. This piece highlighted anti-immigration beliefs as being bizarre when applying it to birds.
- The Son of a Migrant from Syria – In 2015, he created a mural depicting Apple Founder Steve Jobs carrying a backpack and an old Apple desktop, referencing the fact that Jobs was the son of a Syrian migrant.
- M.V. Louise Michel – In 2019/20, he decorated (and funded!) a rescue boat, featuring an image of a girl in a life vest reaching for a heart-shaped buoy, to help migrants in the Mediterranean Sea.
3 - Banksy Created a Dismal Parody of Disneyland
You've heard of Disneyland... but have you heard of Dismaland? In 2015, Banksy created a dark parody of Disneyland. This temporary exhibition was billed as a "family theme park unsuitable for children", depicting dystopian replicas of attractions you'd see in theme parks. For example, you could find:- A giant pink castle (dilapidated, of course)
- A Ferris wheel (old and rickety)
- A crazy golf course (oil-themed)
- A carousel with horses (marked for lasagne!)
- A water slide (a police riot van with a slide)
As you can imagine, tickets sold out pretty quickly, and the exhibition got a lot of media attention.
4 - Banksy Was Nominated for an Oscar
Banksy was nominated for an Oscar in 2011 for his documentary 'Exit Through the Gift Shop'. This came as a shock to the satirical street artist, who has previously expressed that he's not a fan of award ceremonies.
He commented, "The last time there was a naked man covered in gold paint in my house, it was me”. To maintain his anonymity, Banksy requested to attend in disguise. However, there were concerns that others could attend claiming to be Banksy, and it would cause too much chaos. Banksy didn't win the Oscar, unfortunately - he lost to 'Inside Job'.
5 - Banksy Shredded His Artwork at Auction
When it comes to Banksy, always expect the unexpected. At a Sotheby's auction in London, Banksy's 'Girl with Balloon' dramatically self-destructed when it was sold for £1 million.
The hidden shredder in the frame partially shredded the artwork. Surprisingly, the artwork (now named Love is in the Bin) returned to auction in 2021, valued at £4-6 million and selling for £18.582 million. This set a record for Banksy.
6 - French Stencil Artist Blek le Rat is One of Banksy’s Main Influences
Blek le Rat (Xavier Prou) had a huge influence on Banksy's earlier artwork. Blek le Rat is widely referred to as a pioneer of stencil graffiti, beginning in the 80's in Paris. Banksy said, "Every time I think I’ve painted something slightly original, I find out that Blek le Rat has done it as well, only 20 years earlier".
Blek le Rat has expressed mixed sentiments about Banksy. He has commented that he's happy that Banksy was inspired by his work, but has also said "When I see Banksy making a man with a child or Banksy making rats, of course, I see immediately where he takes the idea. I do feel angry.".
7 - Banksy Has Lots of Fans… As Well As Some Critics
With over 13 million followers on Instagram and his artwork selling for millions at auction, it’s clear that Banksy has many fans. His fanbase is rapidly growing - sales of Banksy prints in Q2 2022 were up 449.4% from Q2 2020 and 581.5% from Q2 2019.
However, not everybody is a Banksy fan. Some critics aren't happy that Banksy engages with the market, despite marketing himself as an anti-establishment figure. Others have also commented that his rise in the art market contradicts the socio-political messages he conveys. Here’s what some notable art critics have said about Banksy:
- Brian Sewell, a prominent art critic, openly criticised Banksy, even going as far as to say he should have been 'got rid of at birth'. He believes that Banksy represents a decline in artistic standards.
- Another art critic, Jonathan Jones, commented that Banksy's artwork lacks depth, and should not be considered serious art.
- Art critic Alexander Adams described Banksy as a 'cosy culture warrior', also stating that his work lacks depth and originality.
8 - Banksy’s Net Worth is Close to £40 Million
Banksy's net worth is estimated to be close to £40 million, with most sources stating £39.6 million. His income mainly comes from his artwork sales, reaching staggering prices at auction.
For example, the £18.6 million sale of "Love is in the Bin" in 2021 – and Game Changer, which sold for $23.2 million (£17.6 million) in 2021.
However, all proceeds from the Game Changer sale were donated to NHS charities. Although he donates much of his profits to various charities, he must be a very wealthy man!
9 - Banky’s Identity Nearly Got Revealed Last Year!!
In 2023, we came close to uncovering the identity of anonymous street artist Banksy, after a lawsuit brought forward by Full Colour Black (a greeting card company).
This defamation lawsuit was brought against Banksy over a (now deleted) Instagram post about a Guess store using his art. But how would this have revealed Banksy’s identity?
Well, Full Colour Black's lawyers stated that they "reserve
In March 2024, the court issued an anonymity order, which meant that Banksy would be referred to as just 'Banksy' in court proceedings and documents – which means we may never find out who Banksy is!
10 - It is HEAVILY Speculated That Banksy is Robin Gunningham
On that note, one of the leading theories is that Banksy is actually Robin Gunningham. The Daily Mail launched a year-long investigation and claimed to expose Banksy as Gunngingham, a ‘former public schoolboy’.
However, although the evidence is compelling, there is no conclusive proof that Gunningham is Banksy, and of course, Banksy has denied this connection.
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