1. A dancer poses at one of the art installations by the British street artist known as Banksy at the door of the Hustler Club in New York. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Reuters)
2. In the gallery of a Palestinian artist you can find the door of an old destroyed house, which was painted by Banksy. The door was bought by the owner of a gallery in the town of Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip. The owner of the door never found out that he had sold a real piece of modern art that could have been worth a fortune. The gallery owner got the door for just $175. (Photo by Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)
3. A resident of Palestine walks past the place where the very door that Banksy painted was removed. (Photo by Mohammed Salem/Reuters)
Polly Dreezer, a three-year-old girl, looks at graffiti painted on the wall of the UK Government Communications Center in Cheltenham, western England. The British media associate this new work by Banksy with a hint of the recent scandal that erupted due to the fault of Edward Snowden. According to information provided by him, the UK CPS has full access to international fiber optic networks and transfers all personal data to the NSA. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Reuters)
5. A dog urinates on a new work by British street artist Banksy in New York. (Photo by Mike Segar/Reuters)
6. Graffiti painted on a wall next to Regent's Canal in Camden, London. (Photo by Luke MacGregor/Reuters)
7. This playful kitten is presumably also the work of Banksy. He is depicted on the ruins of a house damaged by Israeli shelling of the city of Beit Hanoun in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Suhaib Salem/Reuters)
8. Stone sculpture created by Banksy in Queens, New York. (Photo by Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)
9. A woman walks past graffiti painted by the elusive British street artist Banksy in a San Francisco neighborhood. (Photo by Robert Galbraith/Reuters)
10. A guy jokingly poses next to Banksy's new work in New York. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Reuters)
11. A woman poses for a photo next to Banksy's mural, titled "The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum", Bristol, West England. (Photo by Andrew Winning/Reuters)
12. Graffiti painted by Banksy in the city of Beit Hanoun in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Suhaib Salem/Reuters)
13. A couple sits on a roof near graffiti painted by Banksy, San Francisco. (Photo by Robert Galbraith/Reuters)
14. A woman walks past graffiti painted on a wall in north London. This drawing is believed to be by Banksy. (Photo by Toby Melville/Reuters)
15. A Palestinian boy walks past one of Bzhnksi's drawings, near the Qalandiya checkpoint in the West Bank, Israel. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)
16. Banksy’s new work adorns a wall near London’s financial center. (Photo by Finbarr O"Reilly / Reuters)
17. A child poses for the camera next to Banksy's new mural in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Reuters)
18. A Palestinian boy looks at a Banksy drawing as part of a Christmas exhibition in Bethlehem. (Photo by Ammar Awad/Reuters)
19. A man walks past Banksy, London, 2007. (Photo by Luke MacGregor/Reuters)
20. In this graffiti, Banksy showed a little girl with dynamite hidden inside an ice cream, London, 2003. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)
21. A recent work by Banksy, which can be seen on a wall in the Coney Island area of New York. (Photo by Brendan McDermid/Reuters)
22. A Palestinian woman walks with her children past Banksy graffiti, Aram, West Bank. (Photo by Ammar Awad/Reuters)
23. Another work, also attributed to Banksy, is located on a wall in Portobello Road, west London. (Photo by Dylan Martinez/Reuters)
24. Graffiti on a wall next to Regent's Canal in Camden, London. (Photo by Luke MacGregor/Reuters)
25. Fun art installation by Banksy in New York, 2008. (Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters)
Everyone knows about him, but no one knows him. Banksy is the pseudonym of a new wave of street art artist and director originally from England. There is no reliable information about who he is. There are only guesses: some say that they managed to capture the graffiti artist in the photo, others suspect that it is Robert Del Naya, one of the founders of the musical group “Massive Attack”, also known for his graffiti works. Or maybe this is a group of artists?
Heightened sense of justice
Banksy's works expose and ridicule vices modern society. It exposes the most acute social “ulcers”: dishonest politics, consumerism, armed conflicts and clashes.
There's nothing more dangerous than someone who wants to make this world a better place.
At the end of 2015, Banksy visited the Jungle refugee camp, located in the French city of Calais, from where refugees seek to cross to the UK. Banksy painted Apple creator Steve Jobs on the walls of the building. A gray nondescript turtleneck, a huge garbage bag on his back and an old model of the famous computer in his right hand. What does the creator of a giant corporation have to do with the problem of migration in Europe? Not everyone knows that Steve Jobs' biological father moved to the United States from Syria in the second half of the 20th century.
We are often led to believe that migration drains a country's resources, but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian migrant. Apple is the most profitable company in the world, it pays more than $7 billion a year in taxes - and it only exists because a young man from Homs was once allowed into the country
Society
First of all, Banksy is a highly social artist. His works ridicule the evils of society, and he does this in a simple form that is accessible to everyone. The 21st century is a time where there are no boundaries and restrictions, but there are many temptations. The artist does not invent anything, but only reflects the surrounding reality.
Understanding Art
What's in it all? modern world Can it be called art?
Some people need the big name of the artist to perceive art. Some people see hidden meaning in any art object (or think they do). There is no unambiguous attitude towards Banksy’s works. He mocks those who see real art only framed in a gilded frame, illuminated by many museum lanterns. He once organized a “secret” sale of his works near Central Park in New York, where anyone could buy the offered paintings for only $60 each. As a result, the artist managed to sell eight paintings to three people in one day.
Banksy vs Robbo
Which street art fan hasn't heard about the confrontation between Banksy and King Robbo? This is not just a conflict between two artists. State support and a personality unknown to the government, hours of effort in almost complete darkness against stencil drawings, universal recognition and... what?
Already at the age of 16, Robbo, a teenager from a London council area, was the talk of the whole UK. This guy was able to paint absolutely all the carriages of the London Underground without anyone's help.
There is an opinion that the confrontation between our heroes began with a clash in a bar in the early 2000s. Banksy then did not quite correctly comment on the hype around Robbo, for which he received a strong slap in the face. This small skirmish marked the beginning of perhaps the loudest confrontation between graffiti and street art.
The British authorities did not consider the graffiti to have cultural value. Writers were prosecuted, arrested, and their work was regularly monitored and painted over by city officials. Back in 1985, Robbo left his drawing under a bridge near a canal in Camden. It was extremely difficult to get there.
In the graffiti scene, Robbo was considered a king. The huge portfolio that the police had could have sent Robbo to jail for a decent amount of time.
The work near the canal in Camden lost its color every year, new tags were applied over it, but its outlines remained recognizable. Until Banksy broke the main rule of street artists... In 2009, he painted on the wall an image of a man covering Robbo's graffiti with white wallpaper.
Artists and those who were not indifferent to gross violations united in team Robbo and damaged Banksy’s works in every possible way. However, the government considered his work to be art, and therefore they installed protective glass on top of them to protect them from damage. This caused even greater indignation among street writers.
Why does this state support Banksy and his street art, but give no chance to graffiti and oppress them?
In April 2011, Robbo organized his first solo exhibition in a London gallery called “Team Robbo - The Sell Out Tour”. His works are successful and are actively sold. A little later, he admits that the conflict with Banksy partly helped him in this.
However, a few weeks later, Robbo is found on the street with a traumatic brain injury, after which he fell into a coma for many months. In November 2014, Banksy returned to the site of their confrontation and recreated the outline of Robbo's very first work, adding to it an image of a candle in the form of a can of spray paint.
Exhibitions and reflection in culture
In July 2002, Banksy's first solo exhibition opened in Los Angeles - Existensilism, a derivative of "existence" and "stencil". In 2006, Banksy organized a larger exhibition in the same city - Bearley Legal.
A live elephant, painted to match red wallpaper with gold ornaments, caused a huge stir. Banksy wanted to draw the viewer's attention to the problem of global poverty. There is no need to worry about the elephant. He was fed and watered promptly, the paint used was non-toxic and did not cause allergies, he was taken to rest every night, and he participated in the exhibition for only three days. The provocative event attracted the attention of art industry stars. Over the three days of the exhibition, more than 35 thousand people visited the exhibition.
Despite the fact that there is no confirmed information about the identity of the scandalous street art artist, his works continue to evoke a strong reaction from society and attract the attention of those who are not indifferent to world problems.
The biography of this mysterious artist is called a great hoax. This personality is shrouded in mystery, rumors and speculation. And the creativity represented by the modern genre of street art attracts millions of admirers around the world. Banksy made a breakthrough not only by proving that it is possible to create in complete anonymity. His merit is also that the street genre of graffiti was first discussed in the context of contemporary art.
Personality
Not a single art critic knows with certainty who is hiding behind the creative pseudonym Banksy. But three versions claim the right to be called the most reliable.
According to the first, the real name of the graffiti artist is Robert Banks, and this, in fact, is the whole version. But the second theory is based on an entire investigation conducted by scientists from Queen Mary University of London. Banksy, aka Robert or Robin Cunningham, is believed to have been born in Bristol, England in 1974.
The passion for graffiti and the character of a rebel led to the fact that by the end of the 90s, the writer’s drawings began to demonstrate, in addition to good technique, the deep meaning of certain social phenomena, their significance for society and for the individual. The authorities, of course, didn’t like this, so evading a police chase became commonplace for the street artist.
In this regard, stencils were invented, which are corporate style Banksy's creativity. Their use helped to act with lightning speed. And often by the time the police siren was already heard dangerously close, the artist managed to hide in the nearest gateway, hiding a can of spray paint in his pocket.
As the persecution intensifies, the work of the graffiti artist becomes more topical. People notice ironic and philosophical sketches, take pictures, and take pictures. Soon people started talking about Banksy in other European cities, and then on the other side of the ocean.
The third version, authored by British journalist Craig Williams, reads: “Banksy is none other than Robert Del Naya, the lead singer of the trip-hop group Massive Attack from Bristol” (Bristol again!). The journalist was strengthened in this theory by discovering the appearance of Banksy’s works at the places where the group performed, no matter in which city in the world they took place.
In total, Williams noticed 10 such coincidences over 12 years. The hypothesis is supported by the fact that Del Naya is also interested in graffiti and has been creating it since the 80s. The musician himself stated that he had nothing to do with Banksy’s personality. Williams also believes that Banksy’s work can be collective.
“This huge amount of work suggests that,” he said.
Creation
Banksy's works are truly numerous. The most resonant of them are peculiar remarks in response to certain social events and moods. Thus, in 2006, the artist exhibited an installation in London’s Soho in the form of a crumpled red telephone box, “hacked down” with an axe. In an attempt to decipher the message, viewers were divided into two camps. The first scolded the artist for the attempt on the classic symbol of London, the second admired the elegant way of “nostalgia” for the era of live communication.
Criticizing the all-consuming era of consumerism, Banksy paints a crucified man with shopping bags, a crying girl, led by the hands of two symbols of America - and a clown.
Often in works (and today they are called that way) appeals to the moral side of society. These messages are clearly illustrated by the works “Kissing Constables” (2004) and “The Naked Man” (2006). The first was made in London's Brighton, near Trafalgar Street, and in 2014 was sold at auction in Miami for $575 thousand.
Inherent in the Banksy spirit are completely hooligan antics. For example, in 2004, he drew and printed a pack of 10-pound notes, on which, instead of the Queen, he depicted the face of the tragically deceased. The banknote was decorated with the inscription “Banksy of England”.
Banksy devotes a significant part of his work, both at the beginning of his career and now, to issues of peace, criticizing military conflicts and political provocations. There are many to list here: “Bouquet” (Jerusalem, 2003), which depicts a rebel throwing a bouquet of flowers instead of a Molotov cocktail; “Dove of Peace in a Bulletproof Vest” (2007), “Girl with a Bomb” (2003).
As we can see, the peak of graffiti creativity occurred in the early 2000s. At the same time, recognition of Banksy's work comes. From a street hooligan and vandal, he turns into a genius of social pop art. The author's paintings and drawings are eagerly bought by celebrities and collectors of all stripes; they go from art auctions for fabulous sums.
Thus, in 2008, the work “Pest Control”, created in collaboration with British artist Damien Hirst, sold at auction in New York for a record amount of 1 million 870 thousand dollars.
In 2010, Banksy presented his original documentary film “Exit Through the Gift Shop” at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). The main character of the film, a director who is making a film about graffiti art, talks with representatives of this genre. It is noteworthy that Banksy himself appears in the frame, but his face is hidden by the shadow of the hood.
In 2015, the artist became cramped within the existing direction, and he initiated an exhibition-parody of Disneyland. Banksy is setting up an exhibition in the British resort town of Weston-super-Mare and calls it “Dismaland” (English dismal - “oppressive, gloomy”).
The setting of Dismaland really creates a depressing impression: instead of bright palaces, there are charred ruins of Gothic castles, fairy-tale carriages are overturned, and the pools are overgrown with swamp mud.
Banksy today
Among the artist’s recent politically resonant works is a graffiti illustration written in 2017, in which a worker erases one star from the flag of the European Union. This is how the author expressed his attitude towards Britain’s exit from the European Union.
The artist’s personality, full of contradictions, and the aura of mystery around his person only fuel interest in his works. Today they can be seen in the Lilley Fine Art Gallery (Ireland), museums of modern art and private collections around the world. A gallery of works is also presented on the official website.
By the way, in the feedback section it is reported that Banksy is not on Twitter and Facebook, but on "Instagram" I have a verified account. For other questions, an email address is provided on the site.
Attempts to establish the identity of the great hoaxer continue unabated. In 2017, the Internet was flooded with fake news that Banksy had been identified as 35-year-old Paul Horner from Liverpool, who had been arrested at an exhibition in Palestine. Serious media ignored the message. So the real revelation of Banksy is yet to come.
Works
- 2002 – “Girl with a Red Balloon”
- 2002 – “Pulp Fiction”
- 2004 – “Kissing Constables”
- 2004 – “Napalm”
- 2006 – “Corpse Telephone Booth”
- 2006 – “The Naked Man”
- 2007 – “Pest Control”
- 2007 – “Pigeon in a Bulletproof Vest”
- 2011 – “Shopping until you drop”
- 2013 – “Slave Labor”
- 2015 – “Steve Jobs”
News that begins with the words “British scientists...” is usually taken with a grain of salt, but this time they seem to have actually made a discovery. Experts from Queen Mary College, University of London, have identified Banksy as the most popular street artist in the world. The method of geographical profiling helped them in this - a systematic analysis of the places where the graffiti artist created his works.
A similar method is used, in particular, by police hunting for serial killers: the method of geographic profiling assumes that criminals commit offenses near their place of residence. Accordingly, analysis of the geography of crimes makes it possible to detect the place of residence of the attacker, as well as the places that he most often visits.
To locate Banksy, scientists recruited criminologists and former detectives from several countries. The study was based on the hypothesis that Banksy is a graduate of a public school in Bristol, Robin Cunningham, about whom the media wrote six years ago. The scientists' sample included 140 works in London and Bristol belonging to the street artist. During the analysis, it turned out that their locations coincide with pubs, football fields and home addresses where Cunningham lived or frequently visited.
the experience can be further applied to the analysis of “minor crimes related to terrorism,” which, in their opinion, graffiti is.
It is assumed that geographic profiling can help prevent more serious crimes, including those of a terrorist nature.
Banksy began doing graffiti in the late 1990s and for quite a long time acted as an ordinary writer (street artist), but over time his drawings became larger and larger, and it became increasingly difficult for him to evade the police. One day, while hiding from the police, Banksy decided to start using stencils to save time. This was the beginning of Banksy’s unique style - monochrome drawings (often with some bright detail or red inscription) on a highly social theme. Images of rats have become Banksy's trademark. One of Banksy's friends suggested that
The artist chose this animal not by chance - the word “rat” (rat) is an anagram of the word “art” (“art”).
True, in his book “Wall and Piece” Banksy admitted that this fact “came to him” years later, after he began depicting rodents on city walls.
Having started his creative activity in the English city of Bristol, Banksy last years significantly expanded his geography and created unique masterpieces of graffiti in London, New York, Barcelona, Berlin, Tel Aviv and dozens of other cities around the world.
His works are now so popular that they are cut out along with walls and sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars at international auctions.
(on average they are valued at over $500 thousand). However, the artist himself does not approve of the monetization of his work, believing that art should be the property of the whole society.
Banksy's "Slave Labor" mural cut from a wall and sold at private auction
Recently, Banksy has not limited himself to graffiti and has also been involved in performances and large-scale installations - last year the artist opened the Dismaland park (from the English dismal, which means “gloomy”, a kind of anti-Disneyland). In addition, in 2011, Banksy received an Oscar nomination for best documentary film “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” which tells not so much about Banksy, but about the rise of the artist Thierry Guetta under the pseudonym Mr. Brainwash. By the way, after the release of this film, countless theories appeared regarding Banksy’s identity: fans tried to find “ Easter eggs”, which could lift the veil of secrecy, and some even believed that Thierry Guetta was Banksy. Before this, there were rumors that “in the world” Banksy works as a butcher, and also that a whole group of artists works under the pseudonym Banksy.
Hi all! It’s so nice to know that so many people, visiting the “On the Edge” blog, expand their horizons by studying different aspects of life. Today's topic is art. There is such a variety of trends in the world: music, painting, sculpture, street art, body art and others.
Everyone can find something they like. Personally, I am inspired by artists. These are incredible people with their own vision of the world, many do not want to understand them, especially those who depict the negative sides of life, the cruel reality, preferring to live in a world of illusions.
Whether it is worth condemning such people is difficult to answer. After all, if we look at life only through the prism of pessimism, then we will not be able to consider the good sides. By seeing only the optimistic side, we will not be able to truly appreciate the moments of happiness that occur, taking them for granted.
Banksy is a mysterious artist
Live in balance, then you will be able to enjoy life. The artist I would like to talk about is famous for his mystery and special view of the world. Banksy's work, photos of which you can see here, will make you think about a lot.
Any artist puts into his work what he wants to convey to the viewer. You don't have to be a great art connoisseur to understand the importance of Banksy's paintings.
Each of the paintings is conceived with a certain subtext. Most people don’t even suspect that the “ordinary” pictures on the wall of an inconspicuous building, painted with a spray can, are the work of a famous master.
Famous works of Banksy and their brief description
For 20 years now, the artist has been delighting his fans with the appearance of his works in the most unexpected places. Banksy has taken street graffiti art to a new level. Most of his works are aimed at social issues, showing problems that we do not want to notice. Even the names speak for themselves.
Painting “Migrants are not welcome here”
Isn't this, in a way, an indicator of absentee judgment about strangers who were forced to leave their homes? People sometimes forget about humanity in favor of their bias. Until it touches us, we will not understand what it is like. This is what Banksy wants to convey to us.
Or his painting of Steve Jobs, the head of Apple, who was a Syrian migrant.
"No future"
Also a symbolic vision of human life. We are consumed by the idea that every action or deed must have a meaning. People stopped thinking spiritually, looking for profit in everything.
Or is it the message “When will the wars end?”
Where people with machine guns surrounded a tired elephant. Many will take the search for light philosophically. They say that human nature is a constant struggle for territory, minerals and other benefits. But, in essence, war is ruinous and now it is much more profitable to come to an agreement than to waste resources on a meaningless, even unprofitable activity.
"London Maid"
A kind of caricature of Europe’s attitude towards the rest of the world. There is no concept of conscience, because if you take care of everyone in need, then you yourself will remain a loser. The painting lasted about a week until the authorities, considering it provocative, painted over the wall.
"Please love me"
And although love is considered a sublime feeling, the artist wants to show with this painting the practical side of feeling. Pointing out that appearance is not important, the main thing is the commonality of views on things. Then the chance of maintaining the duration of love is much higher in comparison with falling in love after the first meeting.
“Differences of views, different people on the same things”
We are all different and sometimes these differences lead to conflict. So the picture depicts two people from different backgrounds. One stands for love, the other is symbolically against, condoning violence. Obviously, aggression always wins.
Painting “No More Heroes”
In recent years, people have become so accustomed to solving their problems at the expense of others. Waiting to be rescued by heroes, or even trying on this mask. What the result will be after is not important to us. It creates the illusion that any loser can become a hero, but this is not true. With such thoughts, humanity expects collapse.
It would take a long time to describe Banksy's paintings. It is important to understand that this artist's vision brings with it an outside perspective that is necessary for each of us to stop and think for a moment. Perhaps then this world can be saved.
Art for everyone
Banksy creates his masterpieces for the soul. One of his paintings, painted on the front door of the youth club in Bristol, Mobile Lovers, is of a charitable nature. She gained incredible popularity, which saved the club from closure.
Another of Banksy’s most famous paintings is Slave Labor, painted specifically for the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The sale of the painting brought the artist more than 750,000 euros.
And Banksy’s famous documentary “Exit Through the Gift Shop.” It was even nominated for an Academy Award in 2011 for Best Documentary Feature.
A recent achievement, an amusement park organized by Banksy, but with a certain ironic accent. A kind of reverse side of the famous Disneyland.
Many celebrities get tattoos famous paintings Banksy, paying tribute to the artist who, despite criticism, defends his point of view of the world.
The main intrigue of Banksy’s personality is the incognito that he has maintained for so many years. Although, while painting the wall of one of the pubs in London, Banksy's face appeared on a video camera. And British scientists claim in all seriousness that they have declassified the identity of the artist; judging by their calculations, he turned out to be Robin Henningham.
There was no confirmation from the artist himself. So it remains for the audience and fans of the street artist’s talent to judge whether this is true or not.
The street gives birth to great artists
While creating his famous film, Banksy worked with many talented and famous street art artists. One of them was Space Invader, his name is associated with the game of the late 70s, space invader.
The Invader became famous for drawing pixel mosaics, but not just depicting them chaotically, but thoughtfully choosing his plot and places for it. Such an unusual invasion plan.
But the undisputed classic of pop art is Andy Warhol, whose works served as inspiration for many aspiring artists.
He was one of the first to use screen printing. Now this trick makes life much easier for street artists by helping them save time. Indeed, in many countries, street art is an illegal act of vandalism, for example in England.
Russian street art artist Pavel 183 gave us his creativity until he left. He gained his fame after English media compared his talent to the famous Banski. From that time on, Pasha 183’s friends began to call him Banksy, the English Pasha.
The French mural painter Thierry Guetta is also famous for his talent. collaborations with Banksy, in a documentary in which he was given a leading role, added even more popularity. An emigrant who moved to the City of Angels and opened his own business, he did not think then that he would be captivated by the art of street art.
Although his style is different from Banksy, he uses ready-made photo images, bringing something new to them, putting his own stamp on them.
Text— Agent Q.
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