Origins of Banksy

When I hear the name Banksy, a lot of things go through my mind. How much I admire his work, his tenacity, and his enduring resistance to compromise, and how he's opened doors for other street artists/graffiti artists. And how funny his prank on Paris Hilton (which I will get to in a moment) was.

But I mainly think about a guy who paints on walls. Which, by the way, is who Banksy is. Banksy is an artist, a street artist if you will. No one knows who he really is, his name, or
anything about him. Few people who've seen him actually knows what he does. What we do know is that he's the type of guy who likes to make statements on the sides of buildings.

Most of Banksy's works (which can usually be seen in London or around the UK) are humorous and political in nature. While it would take a lifetime to try to explain the artistic road trip of a vandal who can make thousands of dollars by painting a mural on someone's home (true story, by the way), I will try to summarize.

Banksy is anti-war and pro-freedom. Many of his stenciling work, which is the most recognizable, depicts a working class view of the upper class and of life itself. Banksy, who uses rats, policeman, children and the elderly (among other things) in his work, paints his images anywhere and everywhere: streets, lampposts, buildings, even statues.

Although Banksy began as a traditional graffiti artist, his antics have brought him notoriety. Some of his best pranks include switching out Paris Hilton's cd at record shops in England for his own album covers with titles such as "Why am I famous?" and "What Have I done" and painting outcries on animal cages in a zoo. Another fine prank occurred when Banksy replaced Queen Victoria's face with Princess Diana's on English money notes and then people actually tried to use them.

It should be stated that Banksy's work, though illegal by terms of the government, has also been very fruitful in terms of finance. Many of his works have sold for over hundreds of thousands of dollars and many of his works are considered collectibles.

If you'd like to hear of all things Banksy, you should check out his forum or if you want to see more of his art, check out the Banksy page at art of the state.



His book, Wall and Piece, is available at Star Clipper - until they run out!! And if you feel like discussing Banksy or any other street artist, feel free to start up a conversation!

Evey