Once upon a time graffiti was considered a vandal's pastime (and a huge part of the planet's population still thinks so), now it is a symbol of victorious street art. But it’s one thing to have fences covered with squiggled nicknames, and quite another to have pictures that are gorgeous in their beauty, with violent surreal fantasies from the “Lewis Carroll’s daddy’s acid trip” series. Even gray-haired mayors, who deep down hate “would-be artists”, have made it a fashion to appear in front of cameras, embracing them, and highlighting the walls of especially nondescript buildings in typical cities for their work. True, so far such cases are isolated.
That is why our today's hero for many is the embodiment of anti-heroism. Undoubtedly a talented artist who has become a megastar of “outlaw” street art, who is condemned by half of his native England and who is inspired by colleagues from all over the world. Banksy is cool if only because he made people talk about himself, bringing street art to a new level of discussion. Perhaps, since the time of one Austrian, this is the most famous provocateur, one way or another connected with the construction of compositions.
Who is it?
I have no desire to show myself to the public. I'm just trying to make my work look good, but I'm not trying to look good myself. Besides, I am simply convinced that the truth may turn out to be a bitter disappointment for several 15-year-olds.
"Who is Banksy?" - a question that has set teeth on edge, the answer to which we will not know soon. The real name of the artistic provocateur has long excited the minds of the British. Information about Banksy's real name was even sold at auction, and the bid rose to almost a million, or more precisely up to $999,999. But at the last moment the lot was withdrawn from auction. Why is also a mystery, probably because it is at least unethical.
Although there are many versions. Scientists at Queen Mary University of London claim to know the name of the bad guy - Robin Gunningham from Bristol. The jaundiced tabloid Mail on Sunday claimed approximately the same thing back in 2008. They allegedly found a photo of Banksy at work, and in Bristol (the artist’s hometown) they said that Banksy’s real name was Robin Gunningham. It’s so simple, the whole country is scratching its head, but in Bristol every dog knows. And then we just talked with family and friends. Simple as that. Actually, due to the primitiveness of the evidence, no one even believes scientists, accusing them of cheap PR. Although the people of science swore by Science (they are at odds with God), they carried out geographic profiling and complex statistical analysis, which is used in criminology to catch criminals. An analysis of the Bristol works showed that Banksy painted graffiti near the same pub, apartment building and playgrounds; in London, drawings appeared around three repeating addresses. True, they did not take into account that the drawings appeared in different time and that the works may not entirely belong to the artist, he is not Nikas Safronov, he does not do this for money and does not sign his works. And, in the end, who will believe the legendary “British scientists”? They are doing bullshit again, instead of looking for a cure for cancer and an innate predisposition to terrorism.
There are many versions, even more than in the mystery of the Kennedy assassination. One of the most common opinions is that Banksy is not one person, but a group of artists, a kind of artistic version of Kozma Prutkov, or, according to others, a Bristol butcher. He probably paints his pictures with bile and blood.
This is such an unethical nation: they are ready to inflate a sensation on a couple of flimsy facts and slander common man. Although who knows, maybe the tabloid photo shows the real Banksy: old, looking like Sean Penn and a janitor from a local diner at the same time. After all, for a long time we imagined the guys from Krovostok a little differently. In any case, 20 years younger.
Banksy himself does not like attempts to debunk the mystery, so he is categorically nervous through his lawyers and agents, who, by the way, themselves do not know who Banksy is - a group of people or just a mysterious anonymous person.
Everything we know about Banksy and are not shy to tell
All that is known about the alleged Robin is that he began to get involved in his life’s work back in the early 90s. If you believe the rumors, then at that time he could very well become a football player, earn millions without hiding his face. As a goalkeeper for the Bristol Eastern Cowboys and Cowgirls football team, he toured Mexico in 2001 and played against the Zapatista National Liberation Army. Inspired by the freedom struggle of a group of young revolutionaries, Banksy left behind a masterpiece of street art. Banksy's mother would probably be happy with this turn of events. Still better than provoking society and hiding. In addition, the mother, as a supporter of conservative views, was alien to her son’s hobby, and therefore the unfortunate Banksy made the excuse that he worked as a painter, because a graphite artist is no better than a drug addict.
After many months of work, 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 on acute social themes. Teddy bears attacking law enforcement officers, gorillas in pink masks and similar beauty. As the maestro himself said:
Graffiti is one of the few means of self-expression that you can afford, even if you have nothing. And even if you don't end global poverty with graffiti, you can make someone smile while they're fed.
It is surprising that he earns very good money with his highly social creativity. He can even afford to work with Sean Penn's former agent. His works are up for auction for $500,000, and they are rapaciously cut out along with the walls. And while you are deep in cynical thoughts about what you would spend that kind of money on, Banksy is preparing another provocative painting. In 2008, a work called “Pest Control,” created by Banksy together with English artist Damien Hirst, was sold at auction in New York for $1 million 870 thousand.
But nothing defines fame quite like fans. If among them there are a couple of celebrities flashing on the TV screen, then we can consider that you are a successful artist. In 2006, Angelina Jolie spent a total of over $300,000 on his work. Christina Aguilera's collection includes three works by Banksy, including the exquisitely titled Queen Victoria as a Lesbian, which the singer bought for $38,000.
But the underground artist knows how to share money, which characterizes him from the best side. It is unlikely that he is trying to appease a not very friendly society and raise his personal rating. He simply endlessly provides assistance to charities that research eye diseases and help restore sight to blind people. But there is one incident that was provoked by the artist out of ignorance, but for which he was fully justified. Banksy painted a water tank in Los Angeles with the words: "It looks a bit like an elephant." This tank was home to a man named Tachova Covington for 7 long years. Banksy's innocent prank not only attracted the attention of fans, but also prompted collectors to buy the tank and evict Covington from the art object. After admitting his mistake, Banksy gave the poor guy enough money to live in peace for a year. In an interview with the Independent, Covington said: “There is no better person than Banksy... He was an angel to me. He helped me more than anyone in my entire life." Someone will say that there is nothing noble in this act, because he left a person without a home. Someone will complain that, with such sums of money, one can allocate funds to purchase a small hut with all the amenities. That’s true, but doesn’t atonement for sins free you from responsibility?
There was some unknowing good in his career when he traded tickets to the Glastonbury festival for the right to paint a van. It is clear that over time, the van, marked by Banksy himself, brought its owners a fabulous $500,000, although its red price was no more than a thousand.
Something about personality and a little more about career
People either love me They either hate me or don’t care about me.
Banksy should have been called the “Maestro of Paradox”, because this is his main technique, what made his works familiar from the very beginning on the streets of London, and then began to be bought up for fabulous amounts of money. However, his whole life is a simple paradox. He fights against capitalism, and at the same time he is a millionaire. He has created an aura of absolute mystery around himself, but he publishes books, gives interviews, makes films and organizes exhibitions and public events. His brand makes a fair amount of money, but he fights against corporations. He is considered the main criminal of the art scene because technically his paintings violate public order, but in many municipalities Banksy's drawings are protected as cultural property. There have already been cases where attempts to paint over Banksy's graffiti have been officially classified as vandalism.
However, the very fact that a simple guy from the outskirts of terribly provincial and nondescript Bristol became world famous for painting over street architecture is already a paradox. There are still administrative fines for this! And to be completely frank, not all of his work benefits the landscape. It is clear that these are social calls, the fight against the depravity of society, but sometimes they enrage colleagues.
An interesting story connected with his most famous work, the one where Travolta and Jackson, in the image of their favorite characters from “Pulp Fiction,” are depicted with bananas instead of pistols. First, London transport workers painted over Banksy's work, after which he returned and depicted the actors holding guns, but this time dressed in banana costumes. Then a 19-year-old graffiti artist named Ozone acted as the censor, promising to leave the next version if it turned out to be better than the previous one. Truly a heroic feat! However, Banksy never received an assessment from the popular critic: Ozone died under a train. Banksy returned to that place and painted an angel in a bulletproof vest holding a skull, and corrected the same picture. Just like that, an innocently murdered slob helped create the artist’s best work. On his website, he wrote: "When we lost Ozone, we lost a fearless graffiti artist and, as it turns out, quite an astute art critic."
It is probably a little rash to call this creation the artist’s most popular work. His rats are still more iconic. If Banksy himself is the personification of the art underground, then the rats are the personification of the artist. They expose the bestial, cruel rat nature of society, being a gloomy warning. A hungry, cunning rat scurries around the corners and does not spare either its own or others. 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). But in his book, the artist admitted that, despite the beautiful idea, the rodent was chosen for no reason.
I've been drawing rats for three years and then someone said to me: what a talented anagram of the word “art” this is. And I had to pretend that I knew about it all my life.
Nowadays he can afford everything and even more. His company, Picture On Walls, generates steady profits, making him the envy of avant-garde bohemian canvas and oil workers. Everything that a self-respecting creator should do has been practically done: it has been spent on charity, a book of autobiographical content has been written, even a film has been shot, and what a movie. “Exit Through the Gift Shop” is a highly artistic farce, where the director appeared in all his glory before the people with a hood pulled over his nose and with a distorted voice, was automatically nominated for an Oscar and was warmly received by critics and spectators.
What is the main indicator of success in the Western world? Two things - you will be mentioned in "The Simpsons" and "" and invited to one of the many evening shows. Banksy coped with the first task, and, in addition to appearing countless times in The Simpsons, he even became the author of the intro for the third episode of season 22. But he is unlikely to ever appear on the show; he is too mysterious a figure.
If the Russian underground is behind Pasha Technik, then the British underground is behind Banksy. And this thought is unshakable and indestructible. The main anonymous man became a symbol of the era, perhaps the main artist of the era since Dali, causing a revolution in culture and genre. However, if Dali was eccentric, Banksy is completely anonymous. Strange public anonymity. And it seems to me that if journalists wanted to debunk the myth and tear off the mask, they would have done it a long time ago. But Banksy is too bright a symbol of the era, bright with its secrecy, exciting minds only with its “incognito” status, and if you lift the veil of secrecy, then the magical aura around the main fighter for justice through art will evaporate, and you will have to answer for atrocities. Or maybe he just has good lawyers? Be that as it may, Banksy is good not only for his anonymity, but also for the absolute contradictory nature of his life’s work. And while there are those who paint over his works and consider them ugliness, the heart beats of the most independent, most daring and incorruptible niche in the visual arts - the art of graffiti.
But there is one thing that is alarming about the image of the hero of the city walls. In almost every statement he makes, he actively scolds the police and glorifies his fellow vandals. The position is more infantile than logical. Being against the rules, against art, rather resembles rabid nonconformism. And after the statement below, the writer completely discredits himself: what did he achieve with his drawings? But this is secondary. You need to take an example from Banksy as a person who slightly changed the world and proved that only dedication, idea, originality and skill will take you to the top of the world, even if no one knows your face. This is, of course, a product created to make money, although I do not deny that at first the main idea was protest. However, this product made me look at the world differently.
Only when the last tree is cut down and when the last river is poisoned, - only then will a person understand that constantly quoting Indian proverbs makes him look like a fucking doll.
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)
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.
We are closely following the work of the most scandalous and talented underground artist of our generation. Comrade's works Banksy on topical issues cause indignation on the part of purity activists, and sometimes they are even broken out of the walls of buildings. The Bristol artist has been making headlines but remains anonymous and on the run from the police.
We decided to collect all the facts about the street artist that you might not know.
1. Banksy’s identity was allegedly revealed by the Daily Mail
In 2008, the British Daily Mail claimed that the British street artist's real name was Robin Gunningham, a Bristol native born in 1973. The man in the photo, published by BBC World News a year earlier, is working on what would later turn out to be Banksy's famous flower creation.
2. He played soccer with young revolutionaries in Mexico
Banksy was the goalkeeper of the Bristol football team Eastern Cowboys and Cowgirls. In 2001, the team went on a tour of Mexico and Banksy joined them in a game against the Zapatista National Liberation Army. Inspired by the struggle for freedom of a group of young revolutionaries, Banksy created another masterpiece of street art.
3. The main shareholder of his printing company is the creator of the group Gorillaz
According to Will Ellsworth-Jones' book Banksy: The Man Behind the Wall, Picture On Walls' main shareholder is the comic book artist, designer and creator of the band Gorillaz.
4. His collaboration with Damien Hirst sold for $1.9 million
In 2008, a work called “Pest Control,” created by Banksy together with English artist Damien Hirst, was sold at auction in New York for $1 million 870 thousand.
5. Celebrities collect his work
In 2006, Angelina Jolie spent a total of more than $300 thousand on his works, which included a painting called “Picnic.” Christina Aguilera's collection includes three works by Banksy, including the painting “Queen Victoria as a Lesbian,” which the singer bought for $38,000.
6. Banksy had to tell his mother that he works as a house painter.
When asked by his mother why all his clothes were covered in paint, Banksy replied that he worked as a painter.
7. He donates to charity
The English underground artist has repeatedly provided assistance to charities that research eye diseases and help restore sight to blind people. Mention of support for such projects can also be found on Banksy’s website.
8. His manager worked for Sean Penn
Banksy's manager Holly Cushing previously worked for American actor Sean Penn. The artist sought the help of an Englishwoman during his show in Los Angeles when he needed someone so well connected that he could [literally] help him find his elephant. Holly became an important figure in the behind-the-scenes business aspects of Banksy's career.
9. Banksy only asked for £1 for an installation at Bristol City Museum.
Only two museum employees knew that among the historical exhibits and artefacts at the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery there would be works by Banksy. However, Banksy only asked for one pound as an installation fee.
10. The Turf War exhibition caused numerous protests, although he distinguished himself as an animal rights activist
In 2003, Banksy organized an exhibition in one of the warehouses called Turf War (“Struggle for Influence”), during which the artist painted animals. And although the paint did not cause any harm to the animals (pigs were painted in police uniforms, sheep appeared as concentration camp prisoners, Andy Warhol's face was on the cows), and the exhibition was approved by the inspector of the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals, such an action caused mass protests against cruelty to animals.
11. Banksy created the title card for an episode of The Simpsons.
Has everyone seen the intro for the third episode of the 22nd season of the most popular animated series in television history? If not, this annoying misunderstanding will be corrected by the video above. However, several years before this debut, Banksy used the famous scene with Bart Simpson in his work.
12. He traded two Glastonbury tickets for the right to paint a trailer.
Although Banksy's identity is still shrouded in mystery, in 1998 he convinced a couple to paint their trailer in exchange for two tickets to the Glastonbury music festival. The couple graciously agreed, not knowing that one day they would sell the $1,000 mobile home for $500,000.
13. Adult Swim aired a fake interview with Banksy
Although the interview turned out to be quite funny, many realized without prompting that it was a parody.
14. “Barely Legal” was not Banksy’s first exhibition in Los Angeles
Banksy's first exhibition in Los Angeles was a show called Existentialism (2002), rather than the Barely Legal event, which was also an incredible success. The first exhibition was curated by the 33 1/3 gallery.
15. Banksy played on the name of a French film festival
In 2008, Banksy invited 39 artists from around the world to paint a road tunnel in London. The name of the festival, Cans Festival, is a play on words that recalls the famous French film festival in Cannes.
16. Banksy created a group of experts to combat counterfeiting
Considering the fact that the price of prints and paintings varies from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, it was quite logical that Banksy decided to create a group of experts whose main goal is to establish the authenticity of the artist’s works and combat fakes. The appearance of fakes is prevented by a team called Pest Control.
17. The premiere of the film “Exit Through the Gift Shop” took place at the Cans festival
The British premiere of the documentary took place at a famous festival, which was only available by invitation. Music group Exit Through the Gift Shop, whose title the artist used for his film debut, Banksy donated one of his works as compensation. The documentary, nominated for an Oscar in 2011, grossed more than $5 million worldwide.
18. Banksy dedicated graffiti to the deceased art critic
The original version of the world-famous graffiti, based on a scene from “Pulp Fiction” directed by Quentin Tarantino, depicted the characters Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta with bananas instead of pistols. London transport workers painted over Banksy's work, after which he returned and depicted the actors holding guns, but this time dressed in banana costumes. This time, Banksy's work was painted over by a 19-year-old graffiti artist named Ozone, who promised to leave the next version if it turned out to be better than the previous one. A young artist who criticized Banksy was tragically killed by a train. Banksy returned to the spot and painted an angel in a bulletproof vest holding a skull. " When we lost Ozone, we lost a fearless graffiti artist and, as it turns out, quite an astute art critic"Banksy wrote on his website.
19. Banksy's early work was unknowingly painted over
In 2011, one of Banksy's early works, " Gorilla in a pink mask", was painted over by the new owner of the building that formerly housed the club. The new owner knew nothing about Banksy. It is reported that the Gorilla in the Pink Mask has been partially restored.
20. Banksy redeemed himself after his work led to the eviction of a homeless man
Banksy painted a water tank in Los Angeles with the words: " It looks a bit like an elephant" A man named Tachova Covington lived in this tank for seven years. Banksy's innocent prank not only attracted the attention of fans, but also prompted collectors to buy the tank and evict Covington from the art object. After admitting his mistake, Banksy gave the poor guy enough money to live in peace for a year. In an interview with the Independent, Covington stated: " There is no better person than Banksy... He was an angel to me. He helped me more than anyone in my entire life.».
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, about Robbo, a teenager from London municipal district, said the whole of Great Britain. 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.