Page 24 - Passages 3rd Edition (demo)

~ON&"''...,. lcan'texplainit!

ii STARTING POINT
A mysterious artist

A Read the article and the comments on the right. Whose comments do you
agree with?

Banksy is a British graffiti artist who has become famous around the world for two
things: his controversial work and the mystery surrounding him. Usually working in liii•miiiiM'-'!
disguise or at night, Banksy has managed to keep his identity secret and both his
fans and detractors alert. Any clues to his identity always make the news.

In 2010, Time magazine featured Banksy as one of the 100
most influential people of the year. Readers hoping to finally
see his face must have been pretty disappointed when they
saw the picture of Banksy- with a paper bag over his head.

In 2011, when a movie by Banksy was nominated for an
Oscar, his graffiti appeared on buildings and signs around
Los Angeles. (People thought he could have been trying to get
publicity for the movie.) At that time, a passerby photographed
a man busy taking photos of the graffiti. It may have been
Banksy documenting his own work, but nobody is sure.

In 2013, a website claimed Banksy had been arrested and
his identity finally revealed. However, the claims were later
discovered to be false. It's not clear who was behind the hoax,
but one thing was certain: Banksy's secret was still safe.

B Pair work Compare your reactions to the article.
"The people who worked on his movie might know who Banksy is."
"Well, maybe, but I'm sure his family must know he is the mysterious artist."

14 lll~liFJ Mistakes and mysteries