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| By Banksy but not him |
Tim Alaminciak has written about the secretive British graffiti artist known as Banksy. He apparently made a visit to Toronto in 2010 during which it is said he painted seven wall pieces, two of which survive. Banksy has an enormous Wikipedia entry and his work has fetched millions of dollars. Or at least it is said to have been Banksy’s work. It seems that it would be impossible to know if these valuable renderings are by some artist who is nick-named Banksy, or the output of a legion of people who have assumed the identity for business purposes. In all the circumstances, it is reasonable to ask if such a person really exists. The media everywhere seems to enjoy the intrigue so much it hardly wants to know. Mr. Alaminciak has zero curiosity. “Banksy is an international artist based in England whose true identity is unknown,” he says with a straight face. But can anyone believe that? Mr. Alaminciak may not know his name but it defies belief that this talented artist is not known to many members of the arts media. We say that Banksy no longer has any business demanding this type of secrecy. He is too important and there is too much riding on what he does for it to continue. He deserves his privacy but he should no longer be permitted to do business like a phantom. Which is what any journalist might tell you. Toronto Star Wikipedia
