BANK ON IT
BANKSY'S 'real' voice has been revealed in an unearthed radio interview - and it could lead to him finally being unmasked.
The British-based street and graffiti artist is known for his thought-provoking and controversial works.
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Despite such recognition, his identity still remains one of the greatest mysteries of the 21st century.
Although a lot of his art is produced in public places, he usually only reveals it on his social media.
His work has been spotted around the UK and has often popped up in prominent international locations.
Banksy has never been unmasked and it is believed his refusal to reveal himself started as a way of avoiding prosecution for vandalism.
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But a 10-episode BBC podcast series on Radio 4 called reveals uncovered dialogue from a radio interview he supposedly gave in the US 18 years ago.
The person claiming to be Banksy can be heard speaking on National Public Radio (NPR) in March 2005.
The suspected recording came as Banksy carried out a series of stunts across arts institutions in New York, including the MET.
During the All Things Considered news show, he is asked by the interviewer: "We assume that you are who you say you are, but how can we be sure?"
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Voiced in a Southern English accent, with a noticeably Bristolian-twang, the man responds: "Oh, you have no guarantee of that at all."
The NPR host then asks him how he gets into buildings and hangs artwork without being noticed.
He replies: "I think it's testament to the frame of mind most people are in when they're in a museum really.
"Most people don't really notice things and let the world go by. For instance in the MET, they hung a Henri Matisse painting upside down for 42 days I believe it was, until someone told them it was round the wrong way.
"I was aiming for at least 42 days, but unfortunately didn't get that far."
In the three-minute long clip, the alleged Banksy describes himself as a "painter and decorator".
He says he hung his work in famous galleries because: "You don’t want to get stuck in the same line of work your whole life long, do you?"
He adds: "I mean, I thought some of them were quite good, that's why I thought: put them in a gallery.
"Otherwise they'd just stay at home and no one would see them.
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"If you wait for other people to latch on to what you're doing, you'd be waiting for ever.
"You might as well cut out the middle man and just go stick it in yourself."
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