Quien es robert banksy biography
Who is Banksy? Everything we know about the anonymous artist
Who is Banksy?
He's one of the world's most famous artists, but despite his global following, his identity remains, officially at least, unknown.
Often described as "elusive" and "secretive" by the press, the "guerrilla street artist" counts A-list celebrities, such as actor Brad Pitt, among his fans and collectors.
A hero to some, a vandal to others, his artworks sell for eye-watering sums, with councils and landowners rushing to profit from - or whitewash - buildings chosen as his latest canvas.
And yet, the self-styled prankster and anti-establishment figure has consistently managed to remain anonymous.
So what do we actually know about him?
Early career
Banksy rose to prominence after he began spray-painting his now-trademark stencilled designs around Bristol in the early 1990s.
The city's influential music and arts scene - home of bands such as Massive Attack and Portishead - is said to have inspired his work.
Banksy himself is believed to have been born in the nearby town of Yate, in South Gloucestershire, in the early 1970s.
His first large stencil mural - The Mild Mild West - which depicts a teddy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail at three riot police, was painted in the Stokes Croft area of Bristol in 1999.
In the early 2000s, he moved to London and continued to attract attention with his satirical street art.
Laughing all the way to the Bank(sy)
By the mid 2000s, Banksy was becoming a celebrity himself - albeit an anonymous one. Simultaneously, his works became more ambitious, popping up in cities all over the world.
The appearance of a new Banksy soon started to become a media event. His mythical status as the masked artist poking fun at authority brought him - or at least his brand - international recognition.
Exhibitions of his work, in cities including Los Angeles a By CLAUDIA JOSEPH FOR MAILONLINECreated: 14:38 GMT, 12 July 2008 He is perhaps the most famous, or infamous, artist alive. To some a genius, to others a vandal. Always controversial, he inspires admiration and provokes outrage in equal measure. Since Banksy made his name with his trademark stencil-style 'guerrilla' art in public spaces - on walls in London, Brighton, Bristol and even on the West Bank barrier separating Israelis and Palestinians - his works have sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds. He has dozens of celebrity collectors including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Christina Aguilera. In the frame: The man in this photograph, taken in Jamaica four years ago, is believed to be Banksy He is also known for his headline-making stunts, such as leaving an inflatable doll dressed as a Guantanamo prisoner in Disneyland, California, and hanging a version of the Mona Lisa - but with a smiley face - in the Louvre, Paris. But perhaps his most provocative statement, and the one that generates the most publicity, is the fact that Banksy's true identity has always been a jealously guarded secret, known to only a handful of trusted friends. A network of myths has grown up around him. That his real name is Robin Banks. That he used to be a butcher. That his parents don't know what he does, believing him to be an unusually successful painter and decorator. Then there's the suggestion that Banksy is actually a collective of artists and doesn't exist at all. Such is the curiosity about Banksy that when the great man threw a pizza box into a bin in Los Angeles, the box resurfaced on auction site eBay, with the seller suggesting that the few anchovies left inside might yield traces of his DNA. He is the Scarlet Pimpernel of modern art, so adept at leaving false trails that even his own agent has claimed that he is not certain of his identity. Indeed, t Subscribe Newsletters This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? . The identity of Banksy, the ever-elusive graffiti artist who has risen to superstar status over the past 20 years, is still unknown to the general public. But that hasn't stopped him from selling art pieces for millions of dollars, compiling books of his work, and making documentary films about his escapades, all while becoming a household name the world over. Recently, a new Banksy work was itself vandalized, thrusting his name back into the spotlight. Since he's been back in the news, we put together a list of some of Banksy's most clever and brilliant pieces to refresh your memory. (Captions by Christian Storm and Reuters) UK-based street artist Banksy is one of the most controversial street artists to emerge on the global stage today due to his politically- and philosophically-charged satirical street art. The works of Banksy have appeared in America, Australia, Canada, England, France, Israel, Jamaica and Palestine, making him one of the most famous international artists and pranksters alive today, while maintaining anonymity. His style is universally familiar and recognized by the combination of his signature stencil aesthetic and underlying political messages. “There’s nothing more dangerous than someone who wants to make the world a better place.” -Banksy Though the pseudonym and the signature style are well known, there is not much else that is commonly known about the artist. Even after 20 years of being involved in the graffiti scene, Banksy’s true identity remains a secret. Despite this, there are a few commonly accepted facts regarding Banksy’s identity. It is believed that Banksy: There are two names most often suggested as the true identity of Banksy: Robert Banks and Robin Gunningham, an artist who was born in Bristol in 1973. Supposedly, pictures of Banksy had surfaced wherein the individual resembled Gunningham. Additionally, Gunningham had moved to London in 2000, a timeline that correlates with the progression of Banksy’s artwork. It is believed that Banksy played as goalkeeper for the Easton Cowboys football club during the 1990s and early 2000s. According to Will Simpson (a member of the Easton Cowboys), Banksy went on tour with the team to Mexico in 2001, where he painted a few different murals in th Graffiti artist Banksy unmasked ... as a former public schoolboy from middle-class suburbia
25 Of Banksy's Cleverest Works
Banksy's most recent work, a homage to Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring," trades the famous earring for a yellow alarm box.
Another one from Banksy's attack on New York City, this time in the Bronx, pokes fun at graffiti and its begrudging acceptance by the upper-class art world.
This one, too, from London in 2008, plays with the idea of low-brow and high-brow art, and graffiti 's place within that spectrum.
In 2007, Banksy visited Bethlehem during Christmas time to unveil six new works on the walls of the city, in an attempt to bring cheer and boost tourism.
Another from his trip to Palestine, Banksy painted this hope for the future on the Israel-Gaza barrier wall.
Who Is Banksy?
Banksy Identity & The Philosophy of Guerilla Art