Banksy, the ever-elusive artist well-known for his hidden identity, may be forced to reveal his name after art collectors sued him for refusing to authenticate a print.
Nicky Katz and Ray Howse sued Banksy’s company, Pest Control, for what they say is a refusal to authenticate their print of “Monkey Queen,” which they acquired for around $38,500.
If the lawsuit makes it to court, the artist – who’s only revealed his first name, Robbie – may have to give up his full identity.
The print, which features a Queen Elizabeth lookalike as a monkey with a crown and jewels, only has 150 authentic prints.
“We’re in no man’s land, and it’s a lot of money. They claim to be the official validators of this artist’s work, but this has been going on for three years,” Katz, 65, told The Guardian. “They’re just sitting on the fence – they won’t say whether it’s right or wrong. We have had our tails pulled for the whole three years.”
Katz and Howse purchased a print that they believe to be real and sent the print into Pest Control in 2020, alongside a $65 payment to have it authenticated after purchasing the piece through an estate.
The estate they purchased the print off of was an established Banksy collector, but the piece lacked accompanying paperwork detailing its history after the owner recently died, according to The Guardian.
Getting confirmation that the piece is real will not only allow them to get insurance on the print, but it would raise its resale value. Katz estimates the piece is worth $70,000 to $90,000, he told The Guardian.
The pair said they don’t care if the print is fake at this point, but they just want Pest Control to tell them either way.
“Is it right or is it wrong? That’s the service that [Pest Control] claim[s] to provide. If it’s wrong, that’s OK, because we will have a claim on the estate the piece was bought from. If it’s right, great. Just give us the paperwork we need to validate it. They’re not providing a proper service.”
The Londoner said Pest Control has “inspected” the work but refuses to give them an answer, which has led them to sue for breach of contract, according to The Guardian.
“I am very disappointed with Banksy,” he said.
He also criticized how Banksy authenticates his pieces, saying if it was any other artist the pair could take it to an expert and get an opinion. With Banksy, however, in order for it to be ruled authentic, collectors need a certificate through Pest Control.
“If it doesn’t have a Pest Control certificate, you can’t rely on that expert,” Katz told the British outlet.
John Brandler, who specialized in graffiti artists, does believe Katz and Howse have a real Banksy, but says the stuck-up artist only authenticates pieces for people he deems to be someone.
“This is pure market manipulation, because Banksy will only certify works that he wants particular individuals to have,” Brandler told The Guardian. “With Banksy, it’s: ‘Who are you and why should I tell you?'”
Pest Control defended itself, saying: “Our authentication process is robust and thorough and sometimes protracted. We have issued many thousands of certificates of authenticity.”
The company was set up in 2008 after fake prints of the artist’s work were sold online.