Unmasking Banksy – the street artist is not one man but a whole brand of people

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Unmasking Banksy – the street artist is not one man but a whole brand of people

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The graffiti artist known as Banksy might be unmasked in an upcoming defamation case over his use of Instagram to invite shoplifters to go to a Guess store because it had used his imagery without permission. The case could be seen as an attempt to force Banksy to relinquish his anonymity, which, many say, has been important to his success over the years.

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Tyson Mitman states that Robin Gunningham is named as a co-defendant in the Banksy defamation suit, sourcing his claim directly from the Richard Eden's article "Is Banksy FINALLY about to be unmasked? [...] legal action accusing him of defamation" with a direct link to it.

Claims from

Revealing Banksy's identity could lead to legal charges such as vandalism and property destruction against the individual.

It's speculated that Banksy has evolved from an individual artist into a collective of artists working together on larger projects and installations like Dismaland, the Walled Off Hotel, and Better Out Than In.

Banksy might be unmasked in a defamation case regarding his Instagram post inviting shoplifters to a Guess store for unauthorized use of his imagery.

Much speculation surrounds Banksy's identity, with many believing him to be Robin Gunningham, who is named as a co-defendant in the defamation suit.

In 2021, Banksy faced a rejection of his trademark by the EU due to a legal battle with Full Colour Black over the unauthorized use of Banksy's Monkey image.

Despite the evolution into a collective, the public persona of Banksy continues to be maintained as a solo, clandestine artist, with the collective's legal and brand maintenance activities kept out of the public eye to preserve Banksy's street credibility.

Banksy's transition into a collective is underscored by the establishment of an authentication service [Pest Control] as well as the engagement of a professional team including art dealers, lawyers, and curators to ensure the authenticity and proper handling of Banksy-branded artworks.

There have been numerous investigations into Banksy's identity, both journalistic and academic, yet no definitive link has been established between Gunningham and Banksy.

Banksy's reaction to the trademark cancellation filing was the unveiling of the “homewares” brand Gross Domestic Product [a website and a store] to maintain control over his name and associated artwork.

Well-known artists like Bristol street artist John D’oh, graffiti artist James AME72 Ame, and perhaps Massive Attack singer Robert Del Naja are rumored to be part of the Banksy collective.

Publish date

10

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11

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2023

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12

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am

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The Conversation

Topics

Banksy's identity may finally be revealed in defamation case

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https://theconversation.com/unmasking-banksy-the-street-artist-is-not-one-man-but-a-whole-brand-of-people-215293

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Tyson Mitman

News

Banksy's identity may finally be revealed in defamation case

News

Revealing Banksy's identity could lead to legal charges such as vandalism and property destruction against the individual.

News