We’ve all encountered Banksy‘s art in one form or another, whether it’s the real deal, a phony, or a print. With this, it’s safe to say that the mystery man has become the de facto enigma of the art world. However, thanks to BBC Radio 4‘s new series The Banksy Story, we now might have access to the first-ever recording of what could be Banksy’s voice.
The snippet comes from the American news show All Things Considered on the NPR (National Public Radio) station. Aired on March 24, 2005 — which was a matter of days after the artist exhibited his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art — it seems that the person on the phone could be Banksy themselves.
As The Guardian reports, the host asks: “We assume that you are who you say you are, but how can we be sure?” In response, Banksy replies, “Oh, you have no guarantee of that at all.” The conversation develops, with Banksy calling themself a “painter and decorator” who’s not afraid to cause a bit of controversy.
With that in mind, the host of the radio show says to the artist, “But what you’re doing is illegal.” Given it was 2005 and Banksy was still growing their image, it was a statement that enabled the artist to reply, “That’s what makes it good fun. You can’t make an omelet [without breaking some eggs], can you? But it’s not in my interest to get arrested very often. It’s all about keeping going as long as you can. So, yeah, you have to think about these things. That’s the thing: mindless vandalism takes a lot more thought than most people would imagine.”
It’s this kind of attitude that would make one assume the 2005 recording was indeed Banksy, making this the first time anyone ever heard their voice. It can now be found and heard on The Banksy Story.
Elsewhere, check out what happened when Hypebeast caught up with Slawn.
