Interesting post .. hadn't thought of it from that angle - don't suppose it would be that hard for them to get his identity from somebody but not sure what they would really gain as they would never get an interview etc...although i can see it happening with all the recent publicity. have you got a link for the ny times piece please ?

DA

i belive this to be a self portrait of banksy when he was a kid

I was forwarded a link to pics of him doing stencils in Jamaica from a couple of years back which i think are the ones you refer to BONGO... says in the blog that he was a bit of a big-shot saying no to pics till a load of locals started and he decided he didn't want to risk upsetting them so let them carry on... at the end it says on there they got a warning from him not to publish the pics but they said f*** you and published them regardless.
I don't know the people involved but also wonder what difference it makes if you know what the dude looks like.
Article also has a go at him for accepting money from Puma to do a commission when he states in interviews that he won't take Nike's money as they (allegedly) use child labour forces to make their shoes, which of course Puma don't... !

I thought Banksy was the chap with the tin of easystart in front of the grin reaper?

This is definitely Banksy and Paul Insect.. circa 2003 @ POW offices, please do not send this pic to the papers and keep it to yourself

so we can't link to wikipedia?

yes and yes when he`s dead i think everyone will cash in, but until then i hope everyone that knows him/has met him keeps their gob shut and respects his wishes

The guy snapped doing the Bethnal Green piece was definitely not him.

The face in the Barely Legal posters is the mask Banksy used to wear in old publicity shots.

So many people / celebs Do know who he is though surely it's just a matter of time ?

Though proving it would be a different matter entirely

His name is common knowledge! It was printed freely through lit in Bristol around 2000 and even was interviewed as such and not Banksy when he lived in South London and was bombing the shit out of the city! Think Cartrain but harder!. Its far cooler not to know who he is...I always thought of him as a Dr Gonzo: 'There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. A high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die.' Far superior than a tubby Jimmy Nail! Oi Oi

If Banksy is still fully anonymous to the auction houses etc then how does he get paid his 4% AR fees from the sale of all his work? And if he doesn't get it then who does?

I'm pretty sure that these guys www.fsilaw.com/ are his lawyers. I saw that website that put the Jamaica photos up and then had threatening letters too, can't remember which one it was though.

You're right the myth is greater than the reality, it means that he can do whatever he wants in his private life while carefully controlling his image in the media, we only know what he wants us to know and then we can make up the rest depending on what we want him to be.

may b he aint a looker........

Shame, you could have seen what he looks like
I think It's more of a PR stunt nowadays, plus the fact that he will be due a few charges for criminal damage more than likely being the main reason that he stays in the background.