Another Alleged Photo Of Banksy Surfaces
For years, there has only been one known photograph of the supersecret celebrity street artist Banksy, whose identity was (probably) outed this week. That one was taken in Jamaica in 2004 by a photographer who, we hear, leaked it to the media after getting angry at the artist. That was the picture that the Daily Mail used as the key clue in its yearlong investigation of his true identity. But we've just been leaked another photo that supposedly shows Banksy in 1999.
An added dose of credibility: this picture is from the archives of the Rex photo service, and is labeled as "Graffiti artist Banksy," shown in the Sony Playstation Skate Park in London in 1999. The subhead reads, "'Banksy' as himself, probable real name Robin Banks, or Robin Gunningham from Bristol." Here it is:
Compare to the well-known 2004 photo:
Our source tells us that the 1999 picture was confirmed as Banksy by the photo agency. Which would mean that-if this is actually him-pictures showing the face of the most wondered-about anonymous artist in the world have been sitting around, forgotten, for nearly a decade.