Banksy's work, graffiti or murals?
Banksy is one of the most celebrated street artists of our times. He made himself popular with his well known ‘guerrilla’ art in public places like on street walls around London, Bristol. His graffiti on the West Bank barrier separating Palestinians and Israelis made him even more popular. His art has sold for record prices and he has a huge fan following including Brad Pitt and Christina Aguilera. But to this day, the exact identity of this artist remains unknown.
Banksy is popular for his various tricks which have landed him into controversy. His tricks include hanging a picture of Mona Lisa with a smiley face in Louvre in Paris and assembling a set of portable toilets to resemble the Stonehenge nicknamed the “bog henge”.
Banksy’s art is overtly political and often controversial. Unlike most artists, his creations invite criticism not only because of their subject matter but because of their medium - they involve daubing paint over public or private property.
He was born and raised in Bristol. It has often been rumored that his real name is Robin Banks and that his parents think he is a painter and decorator - but no-one close to Banksy has ever verified these stories. He is thought to have been born in 1974. Banksy’s agent is Lazarides who owns a gallery in London that sells original works by Banksy. Banksy’s website is managed by him as well.
Some believe that his stenciled graffiti provides a voice for those living in urban environments that could not otherwise express themselves, and that his work is also something which improves the aesthetic quality of urban surroundings, many others disagree, asserting that his work is simple vandalism or that his beliefs are not shared by the majority of the inhabitants of the environments that he graffiti. This political purpose behind his vandalism is reminiscent of the Ad Jammers or subvertising movement, who deface corporate advertising to change the intended message and hijack the advert.
In 2005 he placed subverted versions of well-known paintings in galleries including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate Britain in London - they went undetected for several days.
The British Museum added a Banksy to their permanent collection when they discovered his imitation cave painting depicting a caveman with a shopping trolley.
In 2006, 97% voted to save a controversial mural in a Bristol City Council internet poll. It depicts a husband and wife looking out of a window while the wife's lover hangs from the ledge, painted on the wall of a sexual health clinic.
Copies of Paris Hilton's debut CD were replaced with his cover art and remixes by Danger Mouse with titles such as "Why am I famous?", "What have I done?" and "What am I for?" Some were purchased before stores could remove them and fetched up to £750 on eBay.
Several Banksy pieces have been painted over accidentally by council workers - most recently, a scene from the film Pulp Fiction in which the characters hold bananas instead of guns was erased by cleaners from Transport for London.
http://weburbanist.com/2008/09/07/banksy-art-and-graffiti-the-ultimate-guide/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-559547/Graffiti-artist-Banksy-pulls-audacious-stunt-date--despite-watched-CCTV.html
http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-images-by-street-artist
Bansky is definitely and interesting and mysterious artist in the way his works always carry a meaning whether political, societal, or addressing international issues. I didn’t really know he had a celebrity following, and I’m also surprised to find out it was Bansky who caused the whole controversy when hanging up the Mona-Lisa featuring a smiley face. It’s a terrible shame a few of his works have been painted over and lost forever.
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