Who is Banksy?

At the center of the 2014 “documentary” Exit Through the Gift Shop is the enigmatic street artist Banksy. Many critics questioned just how real  Banksy’s film is, but on an even more fundamental level, many of us have probably asked: who is Banksy?

While it appears that there is a street artist named Banksy, he has, remarkably remained anonymous for all these years. This article from the New Yorker gives more information:

Banksy Was Here

Banksy’s work as been described as “anarchist” and “anti-war.” There are a ton of examples in this gallery:

The Ultimate Banksy Gallery

Of course, Banksy has branched out, doing normal canvass paintings. In a rather bizarre turn, he also designed this dark 2010 “couch gag” for The Simpsons.

Here’s Simpsons show runner Al Jean discussing the background of the opening:

‘The Simpsons’ Explains Its Button-Pushing Banksy Opening

My favorite part is that, in typical Simpsons fashion, the couch gag has nothing to do with the rest of the episode, so after all that darkness you’re treated to “MoneyBart,” which is exactly what you think it is. (Read: a parody of Moneyball.)

So, what did everyone else think about Banksy? I find it impressive that he has managed to remain in the shadows for so long, and I do find some of his work pretty neat.

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