Banksy: An Anonymous Grafitti Artist

1035 Words3 Pages

Banksy is a pseudonym for an anonymous graffiti artist, painter, political activist and one of Time Magazines most influential people in the world. Little is known about Banksys actual background but according to Tristan Manco in his book Home Sweet Home, Banksy was born in Bristol England in the early 1970’s. Known for his contempt toward the government, for labeling graffiti as vandalism, he displays his art on public surfaces, such as billboards and walls, and has even built physical prop pieces. Banksys distinctive stencil style usually embodies humorous images often paired with slogans that carry themes of anti-war, anti-capitalism and anti-establishment. Uncommon to most artists Banksy does not sell photographs or reproductions of his work, but art auctioneers have been known to sell his street art on location for large sums of money. In 2005 Banksy infiltrated many New York museums, such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the American Museum of Natural History and hung his work among notable art pieces. Banksys distinctive satire graffiti style mixed with his anonymous rebellious antics give him an invaluable buzz that is rare among current graffiti artists today.
It all began in the 1990’s in Bristol England, when Banksy began as a freehand graffiti artist. With the help of two other graffiti writers, Kato and Tes, they formed Bristols DryBreadZ Crew (DBZ). Their inspiration stemmed from the local hip hop and breakdancing community and eventually they gained notoriety and size. By the late 1990’s Bristol became too small for Banksy as he was starting to become a street art sensation. Concerned about his anonymity, since graffiti is highly illegal, he fled to London ...

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... make almost anyone very uncomfortable. He doesn't ignore boundaries; he crosses them to prove their irrelevance." Whether he’s infiltrating notorious museums with his work or paying tribute to his own art critics, the artist who is Banksy will never fail to surprise and challenge society's perspectives.

Works Cited

Smith, Roberta. "Mystery Man, Painting the Town." The New York Times. The New York Times, 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 07 May 2014.

"History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places | Smithsonian." The Story Behind Banksy. The Smithsonian Magazine, n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.

Banksy, and Oscar Van Gelderen. Wall and Piece. Amsterdam: Lebowski, 2009. Print

"25 Things You Didn't Know About Banksy | Complex." Complex.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.

"Banksy Paradox: 7 Sides of the Most Infamous Street Artist | Urbanist." WebUrbanist RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.

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