Banksy fascinates me, and judging by the queues gathering outside his Bristol exhibition currently, it seems he intrigues more than just the usual art critics.His art form for the most part involves spray paint and walls and whether you see this as expressionism, graffiti or crime, the fact that he keeps his identify from those who love him and those who loathe him is in itself a talking point.
No-one really knows who Banksy is, the only known fact is that he's from Bristol – hence why he returned to his roots for his first permitted artwork showing.
His funny, political, controversial or just beautiful creations would simply appear in the morning to bleary eyed commuters in London who had to double take at the thought-provoking stencilled work. Stencilled because that cuts the time down he has to stand there and do it, always minutes from being caught – for both defacing property and his personal identity being discovered.
Of course there have been 'sightings' of the man in the mac with the spray cans, websites have been set up where people can post their camera phone pictures but none have ever been proven to be Mr. B.
Such a concern to him at being unearthed, he even requested in his contract at the Bristol gallery that the CCTV footage leading up to the event would be destroyed so that no-one would see him viewing the items before it opened. Only four people at the gallery knew his exhibition was coming, all other staff were told not to come into work the week they were setting up, with just the explanation that filming was taking place and they weren't needed.
Most of his artwork is 'free', now to the point where companies consider it a privilege to have his art on the side of their buildings, unlike your average graffiti it isn't removed - especially when you consider his very few pieces of canvas art have sold for £260,000 plus.
It's one of those situations where the mystery remains and yet if you fulfilled your desire to find out the reality it would probably wreck the fascination of his enigma.
Put your hands over children's eyes, but in my age of 26 I think Banksy is my Father Christmas. Maybe if I replace leaving out a glass of milk with a can of spray paint he could do the honours on my front gate?
But with such a 'gimmick' of not being known, an almost superhero like existence whereby his calling card is his art, thankfully unlike other gimmicks, he actually has the talent to equal the hype – a two mile snaking queue outside his first and I don't expect last exhibition can't be wrong.
Public art and what is considered 'art form' has come a long way and for Banksy and that reason alone, I'm thankful.
