Rats, where's that artist gone? ... a piece by Banksy for sale at Sotheby's. Photograph: David Levene
Following my appeal in a previous blog, Banksy hasn't been in touch. No surprises there. This is a man who combines the graffiti-as-art concept pioneered by Jean-Michel Basquiat with the shadowy who-the-hell-is-he persona of JT Leroy.
In the absence of the artist himself, I called the Andipa Gallery in London. Given that the Andipa was "first formally recognised in 1593 by the ruling doge", you'd be forgiven for wondering why. However, far from being Brian Sewell types they are specialists in modern art and have sold many Banksy pieces. Could they tell me how much mine is worth?
"Have you got a letter of authenticity?" asked Mr Andipa. I haven't. "You'll need to get one."
The place to verify a putative Banksy is Laz.inc, the Soho gallery that is the primary outlet of his work. However, it turns out that quite a few people want to find out if their Banksy is real or about as authentic as one of those canvases of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's rendered in a pop art style. So much so that authentication is one of the major topics in Laz.inc's FAQ section; due to the high volume of enquiries the process can take "many months".
The search for Banksy continues.
