Mysterious street artist Banksy has been caught on camera in behind-the-scenes images showing him at work.
The new photographs, which show the elusive figure creating several of his famous works, were taken by his former agent and driver, the photographer Steve Lazarides.
Over the past few decades, Banksy’s stencils – often bearing searing political statements – have unexpectedly appeared in various cities across the globe.
Lazarides worked with Banksy ”for 11 glorious years, during which time we broke every rule in the rule book, along with a fair few laws”.
He described his tenure accompanying the artist as “a ride” and said he “only became part of [the art world] because Banksy catapulted the movement into the stratosphere”.
Despite Banksy’s worldwide acclaim, he remains anonymous, something that has only served to help heighten the buzz around his work. Two of his pieces have been sold for twice their reserved prizes, with one stencil selling for just under £300,000 in 2007.
More recently, a stencil of Girl with Balloon sold for £860,000 at auction, only to double in value after the work’s frame – designed by Banksy – began to shred the piece.
Lazarides’s photographs showing Banksy at work will be published in a new book titled Banksy Captured. View a selection of the photos here.
