His identity has long been a subject of speculation and investigation, but Banksy may be forced to reveal his real name if a dispute over a print depicting the late Queen Elizabeth as a jewel-studded primate ends up in court.
Two art collectors are taking legal action after the graffiti artist’s company, Pest Control, publicly refused to certify the authenticity of the painting. Monkey Queen. After trying for three years to find an answer, Nicky Katz and Ray Howse lost patience and sued Pest Control for breach of contract.
They point to Pest Control’s website, which states that it will issue certificates of authenticity for “paintings, prints, sculptures and other creative endeavors.” He likens the certificate to “an MOT for the art world”: “[It] This means you can buy, sell or insure a work of art knowing it is legal and the wheels won’t fall off.”
Known for his stencil-based images, Banksy has described himself as a “class vandal” who mocks authority figures through his artworks in public places. Partially fragmented painting Love is in the trash It sold for over £18.5 million at auction in 2021, while signed prints sell for five- and six-figure prices. Pest Control was founded by the artist in 2008 after fake prints were sold online and plays a key role in marketing his work. It was claimed that the authentication certificate was vital to achieve the maximum price when selling his work.
Banksy’s true identity remained a mystery among the media and public for decades. Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja, Gorillaz’s Jamie Hewlett and former TV presenter Neil Buchanan art attackAll were suspected.
In 2008, daily mail Although the artist denied this, he “unmasked” her as Robin Gunningham, a former public student who was then 34 years old. No one has been able to make a definitive connection between Gunningham and Banksy. Doing so destroys his mystique and potentially the price his work brings.
A 2003 interview with a BBC reporter contains the only known instance of him revealing his name. In the recently revealed recording, when Banksy is asked if his real name is “Robert Banks”, Banksy replies: “This is Robbie”.
Katz and Howse say they tried in vain to get a decision either way from Pest Control. Monkey Queen It is one of Banksy’s original prints in a limited edition of 150 pieces.
They sent the artwork to Pest Control, explaining that they had acquired it for £30,000 in 2020 from the estate of an established Banksy collector who had recently died, but that there was no accompanying paperwork detailing its collection history.
Katz, 65, from London, who owns a quarry and an art collection that includes many Banksy works, said: Monkey Queen He is worth between £55,000 and £70,000 and is furious at Pest Control’s delay: “We’re in no man’s land and that’s a lot of money. They claim to be official authenticators of this artist’s work. But this has been going on for three years. They’re just sitting on the fence; They don’t say whether it’s right or wrong. “We pulled our tails for three years.”
Referring to Pest Control, he said: “’You did the job; You have examined it. True or false? This is the service you claim to provide. It’s okay if it’s wrong, because we’ll be claiming the land from which the piece was purchased. If true, great. Just give us the documents we need to verify this.’ “They don’t provide proper service.”
He added that the only option now is to take legal action: “We are suing Pest Control for breach of contract. They had three years to do what I paid them to do [£50] Doing so means plenty of time to deal with the situation, by any standard.”
He added: “I am very disappointed with Banksy. He has made it impossible for anyone to authenticate a piece of his work without a certificate. This significantly affects the value of his work. If I had a painting by Leonardo da Vinci I would have a ‘Leonardo Check’ to authenticate it.” ‘ would not. I would take it to experts to tell me if it is a work of art by Leonardo da Vinci. In the case of Banksy, even if you have an expert opinion saying the piece is his, you cannot trust that expert if he is not Pest Control certified.”
John Brandler, a leading specialist dealer of graffiti artists, said: “I believe this is a genuine Banksy, but it took three years for these collectors to get anywhere with Pest Control. This is pure market manipulation because Banksy will only certify works that he wants certain people to own.
“This is not authentication. If someone finds a Titian in the attic, no one says: ‘Who are you and why did you take it?’ This is either a Titian or it is not. As for Banksy: ‘Who are you and why should I tell you?’”
However, Brandler noted that Banksy’s prices are “significantly lower than they were three years ago.” He came forward Police carPicture depicting a vehicle lifted on bricks: “Two to three years ago the price of this vehicle would have been between £1.5 million and £2 million. It was sold in Paris about a month ago for 300,000 Euros.”
Pest Control said: “Our authentication process is robust, comprehensive and sometimes lengthy. We have issued thousands of certificates of authenticity.”