A 2003 interview with Banksy is being shared for the first time. <\/p>
The identity of Banksy has been one of the greatest mysteries in the art world since the street artist\u2019s rise to fame in the late 1990s.<\/span><\/p>\n But now we might be one step closer to uncovering his real identity after the artist<\/a> seemingly confirmed his real name in a newly unearthed interview from 2003.<\/span><\/p>\n The discovered audio, which was recorded 20 years ago but was never used, is finally being released for the first time as part of a bonus episode being broadcast for BBC Radio 4\u2019s The Banksy Story.<\/span><\/p>\n The artist, who was in his 20s at the time, was interviewed by BBC reporter Nigel Wrench in the summer of 2003 to mark the opening of Banksy\u2019s Turf War show in east London. <\/span>During the interview, Banksy<\/span>\u00a0appeared to reveal his first name.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAre you happy for me to use your name? I mean, <\/span>The Independent<\/span> has,\u201d Wrench asked Bansky, who replied: \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIs it Robert Banks?\u201d Wrench asked, to which Banksy replied, \u201cIt\u2019s Robbie.\u201d \u201cRobbie. OK. Robbie,\u201d Wrench confirmed.<\/span><\/p>\n The never-heard-before audio also includes the artist\u2019s defence of vandalism as art.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s done properly, it is illegal!\u201d he said. \u201cBut I got a good reaction, I think, of most people from my work. You know, I\u2019ve even had policemen in the past say they kind of like things about it, but\u2026 I just think it\u2019s my right to go out and paint it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He continued: \u201cAnd it is equally somebody else\u2019s right to go out and paint over it if they don\u2019t like it, you know? It doesn\u2019t actually take very long with a bucket of white paint to paint over things. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s better if you treat the city like a big playground, you know? It\u2019s there to mess about in, you know?\u201d<\/span><\/p> In the interview, Banksy also compared his high-speed approach to art to making microwave meals.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not here to apologise for it,\u201d he told Wrench. \u201cIt\u2019s a quicker way of making your point, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Read more: <\/strong><\/p>\n He continued: \u201cIn the same way my mother used to cook Sunday roast every Sunday and says every Sunday, \u2018It takes hours to make it, minutes to eat.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cAnd these days she eats microwave meals for one and seems a lot happier. I\u2019m kind of taking that approach to art, really. I want to get it done and dusted.\u201d<\/p> \n