Thursday, July 23, 2009

Guardian interview with Banksy was with an imposter


Can you say "Embarassing!"
The Guardian's Guide, a UK based news paper ran an article on Saturday who they thought was an exclusive interview with the now overly trendy street artist BANKSY.  The interview ran on Saturday but as of Tuesday, the Guardian ran a correction explaining :

"An interview purporting to be with Banksy in last Saturday's Guide (One last thing ... , 18 July, page 98, the Guide) was, it transpires, conducted with someone impersonating the graffiti artist. We apologise to Banksy for this error and for any offence and inconvenience caused."

We kind of find this funny.  The media has been trying to get an exclusive with the Brangelina private artist ever since he became as trendy as Kanye's glasses.  The problem is, Banksy has played his "under the radar and faceless man of mystery" so well that this kind of slip up comes as no surprise.  From con artists duplicating his art and getting busted selling them to people practically running around town and stenciling his famous cut outs and even going as far as signing them with BANKSY's signature, it is not shocking to find out that people go around claiming to be him to do interviews.

We love the man's work. It really has paved the way to bring street-art into the mainstream. Unfortunately, when you are a man without a face its kind of hard for the mainstream to be able to know who they are adoring. 

Via a facebook post by AM