BANKSY
Banksy ID'd As Robin Gunningham
Photo: (left) Robin Gunningham 1989, UK (right) Banksy 2004, Jamaica
The UK's Daily Mail has uncovered the most compelling proof to date that street stenciler Banksy's real identity is Robin Gunningham, but first some quick background. Last year, while writing for Complex.com, I noted how the British (and world) media had all but ignored the Banksy photo that was first published by the Evening Standard on Friday July 30th, 2004. It was part of a series of images taken at Dancehall superstar Buju Banton's studio in Jamaica by professional button pusher Peter Dean Rickards. Evidently he had a falling out with the art prankster—it had something to do with Banksy being an egotistical prick or something—and sold one of the photos to the news outlet that ran it with the headline: "Unmasked at last." Despite republishing some of these photos and even receiving a cease and desist on behalf of MeenaKhera PR—who claimed the rights to the images and threatened legal action—many still doubted it was him (we later learned the PR hacks paid 10,000 British pounds for those rights).
And now, the 'Mail' took that same photo of Banksy from JA to help trace his identity, leading to a witness from Bristol not only verifying it was him, but also offering up the "art terrorist's" government name as Robin Gunningham. After some public record searches, that led them to his supposed fancy prep school, uncovering the above younger, Harry Potter-looking image of him as a student at Bristol Cathedral School from 1989. There's also some other interesting items from a slew of sources, but the best was this odd exchange with his alleged, Robin Gunningham-denying parents:
His mother Pamela lives in a neat modern bungalow in a village outside Bristol. After identifying ourselves, we asked her if she had a son called Robin.|DailyMail|Her reaction was very odd. We showed her the Jamaica photograph and she was visibly startled, but said she didn't recognise the man in the photograph, to whom she bears more than a passing resemblance. We asked if she could put us in touch with him.
'I'm afraid I don't know how to get in contact with him,' she said.
So she did have a son called Robin? 'No, I don't. I don't have a son at all.'
We asked her if she had any other children. 'Yes, a daughter.'
But no son and certainly not a son who went to Bristol Cathedral School?
'No,' she said, and went on to deny she was Pamela Gunningham, insisting that the electoral roll must be incorrect.
Our conversation with Peter Gunningham, who now lives in a gated development in the suburb of Kingsdown, was equally baffling.
Again, we presented the photograph of Banksy/Robin Gunningham. Mr Gunningham said he didn't recognise the person in the picture. We told him that we believed his son to be Banksy. 'No,' he replied. 'I can't help you, really.'
Mr Gunningham politely continued to deny that his son was Banksy but his manner was almost playful. He refused to give us any information about Robin. It was all very strange.
Had the couple never heard of Banksy or Robin Gunningham, one might have expected a reaction of complete bewilderment. This did not seem to be the case.
by ANIMAL on July 14, 2008
Comments (16)
Stop indicting an artist. Stop dry-snitching.
Posted by Bobby Fisher | July 14, 2008 9:47 AM
How can you not want to help the VS by saying how the M on those Dark Knight bilboards look familiar, but post this story listing the names of who people are claiming to be Banksy and his MOTHER? What kind of hypocritical RATS are you?
Do you not realize the legal and other serious problems this would cause for this man and the other people you are listing?
Posted by IZM | July 14, 2008 11:12 AM
the pathetic fuck who writes Animal is the biggest Banksy dickrider on the planet.
Posted by animal is homo | July 14, 2008 12:05 PM
You should change the name of this site from Animal to RAT! Maybe that is why you already have a rat as the symbol for your "news" section!
Posted by J | July 14, 2008 12:08 PM
PULL THIS ARTICLE!
Posted by J | July 14, 2008 12:09 PM
WHAT A RAT!!
Posted by RATS!! | July 14, 2008 12:57 PM
Some of you are moronic, fascist, haters of public information. Let's face the facts, Banksy got caught out there. If he was serious about "keeping it real," he'd own up to the fact and keep it moving. Sure, it was a sad day in NYC when the most legendary real vandal of all time, REVS got caught due to Ader the rat's direct ratting—but we got over it and dude still goes and socks steel sculptures on the street.
Plus, this story has been out, many of you have just been to lazy (or stupid) to Google it. Get over yourselves and save your hate mail for the Daily Mail, they're the ones who really connected the dots. Otherwise you sound like a bunch of zealous street art crying muppets. With love...
Posted by ANIMAL MNGMT | July 14, 2008 1:09 PM
Yeah, seriously, you dudes are more emotional than my bitch. It's a news story that's what happens. No one Sammy The Bull'ed this dude, people just did an extensive investigation and found out the truth, that your beloved Banksy was actually a prep-school cock-boy.
Get over it.
Posted by chain-gang | July 14, 2008 1:19 PM
ANIMAL is still lame as fuck. Today Banksy. tommorow more asslicking of shepard fairy. Fack aaaaaff. Graffiti ass boys.
Posted by animal is homo | July 14, 2008 2:02 PM
Why give any press at all to P RICKards? Obv. he's the homophobe posting these anti-animal comments...he's got nothing better to do now that no one wants to see his fotos.
Posted by Banksty | July 14, 2008 5:15 PM
Ha. It could be him, doubt it, doesn't matter. Either way ya have to give credit where credit is due. And sans the Banksy photos, he's basically irrelevant to me at this point anyhow.
Posted by ANIMAL MNGMT | July 14, 2008 5:45 PM
yeah Robin Gunningham's dead mate (R.I.P.) and has been for 4 years, the daily mail is using a dead man's name for a cheap news story. I'm from Banksy's hometown and Bristol cathedral school isnt a boy's only school
Posted by Yeah | July 14, 2008 6:17 PM
art star gets coddled...
any other REAL graffiti writer would be crucified as a menace.
fuck banksy,
Posted by fuck banksy | July 14, 2008 6:29 PM
"fascist, haters of public information"
who writes this dumb shit?
Posted by lol | July 14, 2008 8:35 PM
@ Yeah
You have no idea..... If it is Robin (and by the way he is alive - you highlighted the wrong RG) then good on him. He was never one to take the limelight so it would fit well but it's a shame when part of Banksy's appeal is his anonymity.
Keep up the good work Banksy.
Posted by Ex BCS 1989 | July 15, 2008 9:32 AM
Just stop pretending you don't RAT when you write articles about "MONEY" on a billboard and then turn around and claim it's just news when you list a guys Mother.
Posted by IZM | July 15, 2008 10:36 AM