Banksy unmasked? Name of secretive street artist may have just leaked

A 2015 photo of a mermaid piece by Banksy, with the “Dismaland” castle in the background. (Yui Mok/PA Wire (Press Association via AP Images) )

A world-famous artist whose identity has been a mystery for decades may have just been unmasked, seemingly unwittingly, by a peer.

Goldie, an English musician, DJ and street artist, seems to have let slip the identity of the international artist-of-mystery known as Banksy. It's been rumored for years that Banksy could be a single, prolific street artist, or a conglomerate of creators using a shared moniker. In a recent podcast, however, Goldie seemed to confirm the theories that suggest Banksy is, in fact, a mortal man.

New Banksy work in New York.A large mural of a rat wearing an "I Love New York" t-shirt on a wall on Wooster and Grand Street in New York City, it is though to be the elusive British street artist Banksy's latest work in New York. Picture date: Tuesday October 14, 2008. It follows an installation created by Banksy that was opened unannounced on 7th Street in New York, earlier this month. Photo credit should read: Wesley Johnson/PA Wire Wesley Johnson URN:6447924 (PA Wire/PA Photos)

Referring to Banksy, whom he called a "brilliant artist... [who] flipped the world of art over," Goldie dropped the name "Rob." In the past, there has been speculation that Banksy may be a man named Robert Del Naja, a member of the music group Massive Attack. Some theorists believe Del Naja may simply be the leader of a group of artists working under the Banksy label. Others have suggested Banksy is actually a man named Robin Gunningham, a name that was first revealed by British media, and later seemingly supported by "scientists."

Banksy, Balloon Girl. Est: GBP 20,000-30,000 Bonhams British Master Print sale, London, Britain - 15 Jun 2015 Works on view by Banksy, David Hockney and Richard Hamilton. The sale itself takes place on Wednesday 17 June at Bonhams, London (Rex Features via AP Images) (AP)

The idea of a secret identity has always been a major part of Banksy's appeal, and whoever has been behind the art Banksy creates has certainly reaped the rewards. A pair of Banksy pieces once reportedly sold for some $1 million, and original prints that were sold for a mere $60 apiece on the streets of New York City would later sell for tens of thousands when it was revealed they were authentic works. The artist has attracted a following of Hollywood celebrities, and has been featured in both a variety of art galleries, and on the tables of knock-off vendors looking to cash-in on the Banksy trend.

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A Palestinian woman works with her children near a mural of a playful-looking kitten, presumably painted by British street graffiti artist Banksy, is seen on a wall of destroyed which was destroyed in last summer's Israel-Hamas war, in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. In a short film posted on his website, the popular street artist appears to sneak into Gaza through an underground tunnel from Egypt. The video shows aftermath footage from the 2014 Gaza summer war and includes political commentary about the strip’s misery. Some of his work is seen as well, such as a drawing of a Greek goddess cowering against a remaining concrete slab of a destroyed structure.(AP Photo/Adel Hana) (AP)

While Banksy's career may have started with graffiti-based endeavors, it has achieved levels of critical and global acclaim. That’s likely due to the artist’s habit of bringing a guerilla style and likely illegal works to far-flung locations around the world.

In 2015, Banksy was said to have painted a handful of pieces in war-torn areas of Gaza. A few years earlier, he visited the Big Apple for a heavily publicized graffiti spree, even attracting the attention of then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg who suggested Banksy's work was "not my definition of art."

Palestinian children walk next to a mural of children using an Israeli army watch tower as a carnival ride, presumably painted by British street graffiti artist Banksy, on the main road in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. In a short film posted on his website, the popular street artist appears to sneak into Gaza through an underground tunnel from Egypt. The video shows aftermath footage from the 2014 Gaza summer war and includes political commentary about the strip’s misery. Some of his work is seen as well, such as a drawing of a Greek goddess cowering against a remaining concrete slab of a destroyed structure.(AP Photo/Adel Hana) (AP)

Banksy has been known to hang original pieces in famous museums, with or without the approval of curators, and a 2010 documentary that allegedly reveals some of Banksy's in-person antics in Disneyland maintains a formidable 96% rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

While initially achieving acclaim for his politically-charged graffiti, Banksy has since become something of a performance artist.

In 2015, Banksy announced the opening of what he was calling the "Dismaland bemusement park," an actual “amusement park" in the UK that the artist converted into a twisted take on Disneyland.

In Banksy’s first major foray in the U.S. back in 2006, guests at his "Barely Legal" show in Los Angeles were infamously treated to the spectacle of a live elephant that had been spray-painted from head to toe. The show was said to have attracted celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and others, though California officials would later suggest it was illegal to use the paint "the way they had been using it."