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First Pictures Of Banksy Are To Be Released By Long-Time Collaborator

First Pictures Of Banksy Are To Be Released By Long-Time Collaborator

Steve Lazarides spent 11 years tracking the elusive artist

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

If the words of those closest to him are to be believed, we could be about to get our first glimpse of Banksy.

The elusive street artist has managed to keep his identity a closely-guarded secret up until this point, but now his former agent and photographer is going to release a load of photographs that document more than a decade of the working relationship between the pair.

Obviously, because secrecy is king, the pictures don't seem as if they'll include his face.

Steve Lazarides is going to release a series of snapshots that show the anonymous artist in a way we've never seen him before.

To achieve this unique take, he spent 11 years travelling the world capturing the many and varied works of the secretive graffiti artist.

PA

Speaking about the release, Lazarides said: "I worked with him for 11 glorious years, during which time we broke every rule in the rule book, along with a fair few laws.

"I hate the art world. I only became part of it because Banksy catapulted the movement into the stratosphere.

"It was a ride - however, I'm glad I'm out of it and about to enter the next ride."

Even if we won't get final confirmation on who Banksy is, most of the shots in the collection have never been seen before, so it'll be interesting either way.

They will be displayed in a 250 page book entitled 'Banksy Captured' and prints will be available to by at affordable prices in order to widen the appeal of the photos, as well as trying to open art to a wider audience.

Steve Lazarides.
PA

As an added incentive, the first 50 folk to buy the book will receive a limited edition Banksy 'Di-faced' £50 note, which is a piece of counterfeit money that features the face of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

Lazarides and Banksy encountered one another in their shared home town of Bristol back in the 90s, and in 1997 Lazarides started building up something of a portrait of the artist.

That partnership continued for 11 years, during which he was Banksy's agent, photographer, and gallerist.

As for his actual identity, that mystery will continue. There is a popular school of thought that he is Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja, although that has never been confirmed.

Some footage emerged from a 2003 ITV News segment that purported to show his face, although it was shrouded by a scarf.

He - if it really was him - told the cameras: "I'm disguised because you can't really be a graffiti writer and then go public.

"The two things don't quite go together."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, Interesting, UK Entertainment, Weird