The identity of the prolific toilet artist who signs his work as Boggsy remains a mystery.
Boggsy’s work is prolific, often appearing overnight and usually in public toilets. It addresses grand themes such as social injustice, gender identity and lack of loo roll. Occasionally Boggsy has left art work in toilets on private premises, such as at Stormont and, it is rumoured, Buckingham Palace.
Police and Council officials have been unable to identify the culprit. The police are addressing complaints about criminal damage and defamation. A group of councils is seeking reimbursement for the costs of repainting public conveniences and repairing walls and ceilings where Boggsy’s work has been stolen by art lovers. One council hired a private investigator to identify Boggsy, but later admitted, given the absence of any useful results, that this was money down the drain.
The situation is made more complicated because Boggsy has a number of imitators who copy his style. The fakes are usually easy to spot, as Boggsy generally eschews inflammatory statements like ‘Up The Reds’, ‘Also Available In Paperback’ and ‘Suella Braverman s**** c***’. The genuine artworks are typically more subtle attempts to subvert the establishment.
Robin Gunningham, often touted as the real Banksy, has denied that he is Boggsy, but defended his work. In his view, Boggsy’s tribute to Carle Andre (creator of the famous bricks at the Tate), which is made out of blue toilet cleaning blocks, is a work of genius.