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Political activism, dark humor and social criticism. These are the main characteristics of the works of, the graffiti artist whose identity remains a mystery and whose works are recognized worldwide. Read this article and learn the story of one of the most famous urban artists of today.
Initially confined to the suburbs of Bristol , UK, Banksy 's work has grown to become admired worldwide. His fame has been featured in leading newspapers and there are even books and documentaries dedicated to exploring the graffiti artist's urban artwork.
The technique used is stencilling and the artist's style is often compared to singapore email list that used by French graffiti artists . Using this technique, all you need to do is make the right cutouts , use a spray can and paint over them. In response to some of the most frequently asked questions from people who visit his website, Banksy denied the comparisons with Blek le Rat and stated that his initial inspiration was Robert Del Naja , the Bristol-born graffiti artist and musician from Massive Attack , also known as "3D".
Recently,has extended his work to the world of the seventh art. His first documentary premiered in 2010 and is called “ Exit Through the Gift Shop ”. The film tells the story of Thierry Guetta , also known as Mr. Brainwash – a street artist obsessed with the world of graffiti – and was nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Documentary.
Banksy: the man behind graffiti
Although he is probably the world's best-known graffiti artist, Banksy keeps his identity shrouded in secrecy. According to designer Tristan Manco , the author of several books on graffiti, Banksy was born in 1974 and began working as a butcher. His first contact with graffiti is thought to have occurred around the 1980s, when the movement became more popular in Bristol.
Other versions suggest that Banksy 's first works may have begun around the first half of the 90s, together with a group of graffiti artists called DryBreadZ Crew . It was during this period that the artist met photographer Steve Lazerides , who later became his agent and the person responsible for selling his photos.
Recent theories have raised the possibility that Banksy is actually a girl. Others believe that he is not just one graffiti artist, but rather a group of several people.
Around 2000, his recognition grew. The fight for graffiti as an art form made him increasingly famous and his work was no longer limited to Bristol but spread to London . One of his most recognizable murals is called “The Mild Mild West” , where a teddy bear attacks a group of police officers with a Molotov cocktail.
Mild_Mild_West
It was the beginning of the century when the first exhibitions of photographs of the graffiti artist 's work began to appear . With a taste for sensitive and controversial themes, Banksy created a number of 10 pound notes in which he replaced the image of Queen Elizabeth II with the image of Princess Diana of Wales .
In the years that followed, Banksy traveled across the Middle East and left 9 graffiti on the wall separating Israel from Palestine .
The Banksy Effect
From 2006 onwards, the graffiti artist began to be the talk of the town. His work began to be bought by artists and the price paid for each of them increased exponentially. In October 2006, Christina Aguilera bought an original depicting Queen Victoria as a lesbian. Shortly afterwards, a version of Andy Warhol's Pop Art portrait, in which Marylin Monroe was replaced by Kate Moss , sold for over £50,000. From then on, the prices paid for graffiti began to increase, at the same time as its popularity skyrocketed.
Banksy 's example inspired many graffiti artists in his hometown of Bristol, where many young people began to dedicate themselves to this urban art. The phenomenon was called the Banksy Effect and confirmed Banksy as the greatest reference in graffiti today.
The debate over whether graffiti is art or not has been debated in the city of Bristol and many believe that all of Banksy 's works should be protected and seen as a symbol of the city.
The Erased Mural
Banksy anti-immigration birds mural destroyed
The controversial nature of his work has often led to controversy for the graffiti artist. The most recent is a mural worth around £400,000 that was removed in October 2014. The image showed a group of birds holding signs opposing the entry of immigrants into the UK. The message was considered offensive and after several complaints it was eventually removed by order of the council.
The message is a criticism of the growth in the number of British supporters of UKIP – UK Independence Party , a far-right party that achieved its best result ever in the European elections of May 2014.
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