It is said that the spark between Robbo and Banksy was ignited in a London bar. Upon meeting Robbo (a man well known by anyone familiar with London graffiti art), Banksy denied having heard of him. Insulted, Robbo struck Banksy across the face for this expression of disrespect, and says “now you won’t forget me…” Thus began a graffiti war that continues to this day, however it had both positive and negative outcomes for Robbo, whose retaliation against Banksy forced him out of retirement.
Robbo is constantly “living on the edge,” developing his fill-in style, at risk of being caught any moment, making his awareness of the rules of graffiti art all the more heightened. The fact that Banksy’s work is celebrated and preserved rather than eradicated and looked down upon as his work is, only fuels his desire to achieve notoriety in the mainstream art world.
