Is there more than one Banksy? The five most popular theories

Like the outcome of Russian elections, or a new series of I’m A Celebrity…, the appearance of another Banksy artwork is entirely predictable. In ages gone, empires rose and fell against the backdrop of the turn of the seasons, or the cycles of the moon.  Now we have Banksy. Each new stencil is greeted with the same mix of awe, speculation and excitement – despite the knowledge that, in a month or so, another one will crop up.  Since Banksy’s emergence in the early 2000s, the pseudonymous graffiti artist has become – somewhat depressingly – Britain’s best-known contemporary artist. With their accessible motifs and facile political messaging, his stencils have an undeniable brand recognition. The latest piece is typical: painted on a wall in Finsbury Park, north London, it’s a trompe l’oeil showing the green foliage of a pruned tree, while a figure with a pressure-washer hovers nearby. As with much of his work, it looks profound but its message – nature good; city bad – is ultimately pretty trite. Jeremy Corbyn likes it. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) What, then, explains Banksy’s success? The artist can command swaggering prices – his “shredded”...