A Former BBC Reporter’s Encounter with Banksy
A former BBC reporter has shared an intriguing story about his encounter with the elusive street artist Banksy. Nick Bryant, who previously served as the BBC’s New York correspondent, claims he witnessed the artist painting a mural in New York in 2018. The incident, which took place near a newly completed mural, involved a tense moment that left Bryant both excited and apprehensive.
Bryant described how he saw a man exiting a coffee shop close to the mural. The BBC’s cameraman captured the encounter as the artist made a hasty escape. However, when Bryant tried to inform his colleagues in London about his exclusive discovery, the response was unexpected. A senior colleague reportedly called him and mentioned that his daughter had been at work that day and thought it was inappropriate to reveal the news, especially regarding the concept of Father Christmas.
Bryant, a Bristolian, felt relieved, fearing potential backlash from his hometown. He had been tipped off by the street artist’s public relations team about the unveiling of a new piece at the Houston Bowery Wall. Upon arriving with the cameraman, they asked a security guard for details about the artist’s appearance. The guard pointed out a “middle-aged man wearing a black beanie and a dishevelled grey coat” leaving a nearby cafe.
Bryant recounted the moment when the artist, upon seeing the cameraman, panicked and instructed his assistant to get in the car and slam the door. As the door remained open, Bryant quickly introduced himself, stating, “Sir, I’m a Bristolian.” This embarrassing moment highlighted the unique nature of the encounter.
The artist then sped off, with the takeaway coffee flying off the roof of the car. Bryant later shared this experience on Substack after Banksy unveiled his latest work in London. The new sculpture features a suited man on a plinth, his face covered in a flag, stepping off the platform blindly.
The artwork was shared on Instagram, prompting discussions about how Banksy managed to pull off such a stunt in a busy area of central London. Located along Pall Mall, near the Athenaeum Club and the Crimean War Memorial, the 25-foot work is positioned directly in front of a golden Athena statue and near statues of Edward VII, Florence Nightingale, and the Crimean War Memorial.
In a brief statement, a spokesperson for Banksy said: “The artist revealed the unsolicited monument at some point in the early hours of yesterday. It is positioned on a traffic island in Pall Mall where Banksy said ‘there was a bit of a gap’.”
The artist’s video also featured an anonymous passerby criticising the artwork. “I don’t like it. That’s a nice statue up there – I prefer that,” the man says as he points to another nearby statue.
Banksy’s identity remained a mystery until The Mail on Sunday launched an investigation in 2008, naming Robin Gunningham as the artist. In March, Reuters news agency claimed they had also proved that the artist is Mr Gunningham, who is said to have changed his name to David Jones. Despite these claims, his identity remains unconfirmed.
In September, a Banksy mural depicting a protester on the floor holding a blood-spattered placard while a judge hit him with a gavel appeared on the front of the Royal Courts of Justice building. It was swiftly covered up by officials, with security guards seen patrolling in front of a screen concealing the artwork.
The artwork followed almost 900 people being arrested in central London at a demonstration supporting banned group Palestine Action, in what was thought to be Britain’s biggest ever mass arrest.
Banksy’s team claimed to Bryant that the man he had met was not the artist, but an assistant adding finishing touches.
