Banksy is the most mysterious and scandalous graffiti artist. Banksy's best works (31 photos)
Probably the most popular and at the same time the most mysterious street artist in the world. He became famous throughout the world thanks to his unique "guerrilla" style of stencil graffiti, which appeared in a wide variety of in public places– on the walls of buildings in London, Brighton, Bristol and even on the West Bank barrier separating Israel and Palestine. But despite my world fame However, Banksy was able to maintain a veil of secrecy and anonymity around himself. There is a lot of controversy surrounding his biography and real name. According to the most common versions, his real name is Robert or Robin Banks.
Despite the fact that Banksy’s outrageous work can most likely be attributed to the “counterculture” genre, his works are exhibited in the most fashionable and prestigious galleries in the world. Collectors of his work include many celebrities, including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Christina Aguilera. It is very difficult to find any information about this person, so the captions for some photos may not be entirely “from the author.”
(Total 35 photos)
1. Banksy truck. (Banksy)
2. "Picnic"
At the exhibition of this graffiti artist, which took place in Los Angeles in 2006, Angelina Jolie bought three works by the artist for 400 thousand dollars. Among Jolie's acquisitions was the painting "Picnic" shown in this photo, worth $226,000. (Banksy)
3. "Laugh, but one day we'll be in charge" (Banksy)
4. “Bad artists imitate, great artists steal” (Banksy)
5. "Escape" (Banksy)
6. "Maid" (Banksy)
7. "Helicopters with pink bows" (Banksy)
8. "Flower Thrower" (Banksy)
9. "Attack of the Carts" (Banksy)
10. "Moisturize"
Caption: "I learned a valuable lesson from this woman: you need to moisturize your skin every day." (Banksy)
11. "A man removing graffiti from a wall."
This drawing appeared in May 2008 on Lick Street in London. By August 2008, this graffiti had been painted over. Please note - the images of animals resemble cave drawings primitive people in the Lascaux cave in France or in Altamira, Spain. (Banksy)
12. "Naked"
This drawing is located on the facade of the Bristol clinic on Park Street, where patients are treated for sexual disorders. After numerous petitions from the public, Bristol City Council decided not to paint over the graffiti. (Banksy)
13. "Death"
Stencils on the waterline of the pleasure boat Tekla in the center of Bristol. The image of death is based on a famous 19th century engraving depicting the plague during the Great Stench. (Banksy)
14. "One nation under CCTV" or "Big Brother is watching you"
Graffiti in the heart of London. A group of people have been flooding the Royal Mail with letters for a long time, asking that one of the walls needs to be rebuilt. After repeated requests, it was decided to install scaffolding to find out what the problem was there. Six days later, when the scaffolding was removed, this graffiti was on the façade. Visible from afar, the graffiti attracted the attention of many people who had no idea that it was the work of Banksy. In March 2009, local authorities ordered it to be covered over, despite desperate public protests. CCTV is a surveillance camera, and the phrase “One nation under...” is a reference to the famous phrase “One nation under God” - a fragment of the oath of allegiance to the American flag.. (Banksy/ogglog)
15. "Living in Dreams" (Banksy)
16. "Square Head" (Banksy)
17. Another one of Banksy’s works on the city streets. (Banksy)
18. "Charlie the Arsonist." Graffiti was painted on a building that was on fire. (Banksy)
19. "Donut Escort" (Banksy)
20. "Double Solid" or "Flower Power"
The yellow line of street markings turns into a huge flower on one of the facades of London houses. Next to it is a self-portrait of the artist. (Banksy)
21. "Walking the Dog" (Banksy)
22. The inscription on the tank: “It seems like an elephant” (Banksy)
23. “0% interested in people” (Banksy)
24. "Behind the wall!
The Wall project included virtual reality, which emphasized the denial of the existence of humanity, which is a fence - children are cut off from the sea and forced to play with buckets and shovels on a pile of stones, while behind the wall... (Banksy)
25. I hate Mondays. (Banksy)
26. Without wasting time
"Pulp Fiction". © Banksy
Banksy has long been the most famous street artist in the world - it's hard to argue with that. His work constantly appears on the streets and in galleries in different countries, and at the same time he still manages to maintain anonymity. The mystery of Banksy's identity further fuels interest in both the artist himself and his work. In 2008, journalist Claudia Joseph published in the English newspaper The Mail On Sunday under the headline: “Graffiti artist Banksy exposed: former student public school from a middle-class suburb." We bring to your attention a translation of this interesting and very thorough journalistic investigation.
"Flower Thrower" © Banksy
He is probably the most famous living artist. Some consider him a genius, others - a vandal. He is always contradictory, and equally evokes admiration and anger. Since becoming famous for his guerrilla stenciled art on public walls in London, Brighton, Bristol and even the West Bank, Banksy's work has sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds. Among his collectors are dozens of stars: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Christina Aguilera.
He also became famous for his daring antics that made headlines: he left an inflatable doll dressed as a Guantanamo Bay prisoner at Disneyland in California, and hung a reproduction of the Mona Lisa with a “smiley face” in the Louvre. But perhaps the biggest provocation that constantly haunts the minds of the public is that Banksy's identity has always been a mystery, a jealously guarded secret known only to a few trusted friends.
Banksy's personality is surrounded by myths. As if his real name was Robin Banks. That he used to be a butcher. That his parents don’t know what their son is doing and think that he is a very successful artist and decorator. There is also a hypothesis that Banksy is actually a collective of artists, and a person with that name does not exist. Banksy's identity is such a source of curiosity that when he throws a pizza box into a trash bin in Los Angeles, it appears on eBay: the man who put it up for auction believes that the anchovies left in the box may contain traces of the artist's DNA .
© Banksy
He is the Scarlet Pimpernel ( The Scarlet Pimpernel - hero novel of the same name Emma Oritsa about a British aristocratic spy who operated in France during the Age of Terror - approx. ed.) of contemporary art, who is so adept at covering his tracks that even his agent claims he is not sure who he is. Indeed, identifying the elusive Banksy has proven to be as difficult as predicting where his next work will appear. But now, after an exhausting investigation that lasted a year and during which we talked to a dozen friends, former colleagues, enemies, neighbors and members of Banksy's family, The Mail On Sunday newspaper came close to unraveling Banksy's identity. The man we think of as Banksy is not a inner-city bully, but, perhaps predictably, a former public school student from a middle-class suburb.
Our search began with a photograph taken in Jamaica of a smiling man in a blue shirt and jeans with a can of spray paint at his feet. The photo was taken four years ago ( in 2004 - approx. ed.), and is believed to depict Banksy at work. When the photograph was published, it was the first crack in the armor of anonymity with which the artist had surrounded himself since his work began to attract the attention of people from the art world. Naturally, Banksy said that it was not him in the photo. By the way, Banksy and everyone around him constantly deny everything.
“Laugh, but someday we will be in power.” © Banksy
© Banksy
Armed with this image, we traveled to Bristol, long known to be the artist's hometown, and met a man who claimed to have met Banksy in person. Of course, many people claim to have met Banksy in person, but when you start asking questions, it turns out that they “know someone who knows Banksy” and the trail is lost. However, this man said that he not only knew the elusive artist, but also revealed his name to us. The story became fascinating because the name was not the usual variation on the "Banks" theme. He claims that the man in the photograph used to be called Robin Gunningham: it doesn't take much imagination to guess how that name gave rise to the pseudonym "Banksy" ( Ben - shortened version of the name Robin - approx. ed.).
From the data in open access, we managed to glean something else. Robin's father, Peter Gordon Gunningham (1942), is a pensioner. former manager Contracts Department, lives in the Whitehall area of Bristol. Mother - Pamela Ann Dawkin-Jones (1941) - worked as a secretary and was never outside the Clifton area of Bristol. She now works in a nursing home. The couple married on April 25, 1970 at Kingswood Wesley Methodist Church. On February 8, 1972, their daughter Sarah was born at Bristol Maternity Hospital. By this time Peter had been promoted and the family bought their first home, a semi-detached flat in Bristol.
© Banksy
The house where Robin Gunningham lived as a child
On July 28, 1973, Robin was born in the same maternity hospital. According to neighbors, early age the boy underwent surgery because he was born with a cleft palate. When Robin turned ten, the family moved to a larger house on the same street: it was there that they passed school years Robin and his passion for graffiti began. A neighbor, Anthony Hallett, remembers how the couple, having just gotten married, came to this street and lived on it until 1998. After this they divorced. When we showed Mr. Hallett the photo from Jamaica, he said the man in the photo was Robin Gunningham.
In 1984, at the age of eleven, Robin wore a black jacket, gray trousers and a striped tie and attended the famous Bristol Cathedral School, which now costs £9,240 a year, and among former students - model Sophie Anderton. It's hard to imagine Banksy, who always rails against authority, as a public school student wandering around a former 17th-century monastery, with his courtyard, galleries and worship services in the ancient cathedral. However, when we found a school photo from 1989, it turned out that Robin Gunningham bears a striking resemblance to the man in the Jamaican photo. In addition, people who studied with Robin recall that he was a very gifted artist. Scott Nurse, an insurance agent in Robin's class, said, “He was one of three kids in our class who were incredibly talented in the arts. He drew a lot of illustrations. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he is Banksy. He was also on the rugby team and I think he played hockey.”
Robin Gunningham at school, 1989
Bristol Cathedral and cathedral school
In one of his rare interviews, which Banksy always gives anonymously, the artist admitted that he became interested in graffiti at school. In 1983, the New York hip-hop group Rock Steady Crew visited Europe on tour: they performed at the annual British gala Royal Variety Performance along with graffiti writers. Their performance left a lasting impression on the future band Massive Attack and on Nick Walker, now a well-known artist and designer who created the sets for the films eyes closed» ( Eyes Wide Shut - last film Stanley Kubrick, 1999 - approx. ed.) and "Judge Dredd" ( Judge Dredd is a fantasy action film directed by Danny Cannon, filmed in 1995 - approx. ed.).
They say that Banksy's passion for art ruined his relationship with his family. This is what a former neighbor, Mr. Hallett, said: “Their family was always very pleasant. I'm not sure, but I think Robin was a graffiti artist. He worked for others and did not come home for months. He led a wandering lifestyle. I won't say he went off the rails, but his relationship with his family deteriorated. Most likely, this happened because he did not live up to their expectations. After he left home, he just disappeared."
© Banksy
In 1985, the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol held an exhibition called “Graffiti Art in Britain”: during the event, writers painted directly on the walls of the gallery and hip-hop performed group The Wild Bunch, which later became known as Massive Attack. In a 2006 interview with pop culture magazine Swindle, Banksy said: “I come from a small town in the south of England. When I was ten years old, a guy nicknamed was constantly drawing on the street. I think he visited New York and brought back graffiti from there. I grew up seeing graffiti on the streets of Bristol long before I saw graffiti in magazines or on the computer. 3D quit painting and created the band Massive Attack: for him it was probably good, but for the city it was a loss. At school we all loved graffiti. We drew on the bus on the way home. Literally everyone was doing graffiti.”
© Banksy
© Banksy
At the age of sixteen, Robin Gunningham, having passed his final exams and received a certificate, took up street art. The following year, as part of Operation Anderson, undercover police officers arrested seventy-two street artists across Britain and charged them with criminal damage. Among those arrested was Tom Bingle, also known as Inkie, a graffiti artist who is considered an associate of Banksy and is now the head of design at production company Sega. computer games. Bingle was tried but ultimately acquitted. Robin Gunningham was not arrested. There is no mention of Banksy in the records. The artist himself admitted that he had become an expert in evading meetings with the police.
© Banksy
In his book Wall And Piece, Banksy writes: “When I was eighteen, one night I tried to write in big silver letters on the side of a train: “Late Again.” The transport police showed up, and I tore all my clothes to shreds, escaping through the thorny bushes. My comrades got to the car and drove away, and I spent more than an hour, lying under a dump truck from which oil was pouring on me. While I was lying there and listening to the police, I realized that I needed to cut my drawing time in half or stop. I was looking at the stenciled lettering on the bottom of the fuel tank and realized I could just copy the style and make the letters a meter tall. Eventually I made it home and climbed into bed. I told my girlfriend that I had an epiphany and she told me to stop doing drugs because it was 'bad for the heart.'
Banksy's book Wall And Piece
As the investigation progressed, our inquiries time and time again revealed facts that coincided with what was already known about Banksy. In 1998, Robin Gunningham was living in the Easton area of Bristol with Luke Egan, who was exhibiting his work with Banksy at Santa's Ghetto, an art store that opened in London's West End in 2001. m year, around Christmas. Despite this, when we contacted Egan, he initially denied that he rented an apartment with Banksy or Robin Gunningham. However, it was known that he participated in an exhibition with Banksy, and the list of voters said that he lived with Robin Gunningham. As a result, Egan said: "I shared a flat with a guy called Robin Gunningham. But..." - "Are you saying he wasn't Banksy?" - "I wasn't then. I lived with him for a very long time. In any case, I don't think Banksy even existed then."
It is believed Egan and Gunningham moved out of the apartment when the owner decided to sell the house. Camilla Stacey, a curator at Bristol's Here Gallery who bought the house in 2000, claims Banksy and Robin Gunningham are the same person. She knows that Banksy lived in this house because his works remained there, and she received letters addressed to Robin Gunningham. “I bought a house in which lived before Banksy,” she says. - He rented a room, but, it seems to me, there were some troubles with other tenants, and the owner decided to sell it. When I moved into the house, everything was covered in graffiti and stuff like that. I threw everything away. At the time, Banksy was just another guy painting on the streets of Bristol. Another graffiti artist in Bristol. Sometimes when I think about it, I can't sleep." Really, who wouldn't regret throwing away works that would most likely be worth tens of thousands today?
Work created at Walls On Fire in Bristol, 1998
In 1998, Banksy and Inky, together with other artists, organized the Walls On Fire project: they painted a 365-meter-long fence in Bristol port. In an unofficial biography of Banksy entitled "Bristol Banksy": home" (Banksy's Bristol: Home Sweet Home), which was written by local writer Steve Wright, quotes Inky: "I helped Banksy organize the event, but then I went into the shadows and got drunk, if I'm not mistaken."
"The Soft, Soft West." © Banksy
In 1999, Banksy painted a work in Bristol, on Stokes Croft Street in Easton, on the wall opposite the Subway Records store, entitled “Soft, Soft West” ( Mild Mild West - obviously played out set phrase Wild Wild West - "wild, wild West" - approx. ed.), which depicts a teddy bear with a Molotov cocktail in his hand. Jim Paine, founder of Subway Records, held the ladder. “I had met Banksy some time before, in the mid-to-late 1990s, when he was renting a room in Easton, a couple of streets away from me,” he says in Wrights' book.
“The whole state is under video surveillance.” © Banksy
“Buy until you drop.” © Banksy
After living in London for some time, Banksy returned to Bristol in February 2000 for his first exhibition. It took place in the Severnshed restaurant, a former boathouse designed by Brunel ( Isambard Kingdom Brunel is a famous British engineer who lived in the 19th century, one of the major figures in the history of the Industrial Revolution - approx. ed.). All works were sold on the opening day of the exhibition. “This was the first time he had ever created work on canvas,” curator Robert Birse told us last week. “He had no idea how to stretch a canvas or prepare a work for an exhibition, but he knew exactly what he wanted to do.” I don't even know his name. He has a set of pseudonyms that he uses with the people he works with, but then he only allowed his old comrades to work. I think I paid him cash [for the works sold at the exhibition]. I could write a blank check or pay cash.”
In the early 2000s, Banksy moved to London - again coinciding with Robin Gunningham's move. Robin lived in east London, in Hackney, on Kingsland Road. He shared a flat with Jamie Eastman, who worked for the Bristol record company Hombre. Banksy has painted several covers for albums released by this company.
Cover 1998 © Banksy
Cover 2000 © Banksy
In 2001, Banksy had his first unofficial exhibition in London, during which he spray-painted twelve works on the washed walls of a tunnel on Rivington Street in the Shoreditch area of Hackney (Rivington, Shoreditch). However worldwide fame the exhibition Turf War brought him ( English "war for territory", "struggle for power"), which took place in July 2003 in a warehouse located literally meters from the apartment that Robin Gunningham rented. The exhibition featured live pigs and cows, one of which featured many Andy Warhol heads. The Queen of England was depicted as a monkey. The animal rights activist chained herself to a fence in protest, but the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals allowed the exhibition to go ahead. That same year, Banksy, pretending to be a pensioner, came to the Tate Modern gallery and pasted a painting condemning the war in Iraq on the wall: the image hung for two and a half hours.
Painting by Edouard Manet " A parody of E. Manet’s painting “Luncheon on the Grass.” © Banksy
Robin's mother, Pamela, lives in a neat one-storey house in a village near Bristol. After explaining that we were journalists, we asked if she had a son named Robin. She reacted very strangely. We showed her a photo from Jamaica. It was clear that she was stunned, and she said that she did not recognize the man from the photograph, who, by the way, looked very much like her. We asked if she could help us contact him. She replied: “I'm afraid I don't know how to contact him.” So she does have a son named Robin after all? “No, no. I don’t have a son at all.” We asked if she had children. “Yes, I have a daughter.” But she doesn't have a son who went to Bristol Cathedral School? "No". She began to deny that she was Pamela Gunningham, insisting that there was an error in the electoral rolls.
Works created for the album Think Tank by Blur.
© Banksy
"Girl-astronaut and bird"
Speaking to Peter Gunningham, who now lives in the Kingsdown suburb of Bristol, we were also very puzzled. We showed a photo of Banksy/Robin Gunningham. Mr Gunningham said he did not recognize the man in the picture. We said we thought his son was Banksy. He replied: “No. I'm afraid I really can't help you." Mr Gunninghay continued to politely deny that his son was Banksy, although he did not seem very serious. He refused to say anything about Robin. It was all very strange. If they had never heard of Banksy or Robin Gunningham, they would be at a loss. But something was wrong here. Then we contacted the person in charge of Banksy’s public relations, and in the best traditions of Banksy, he neither confirmed nor denied our story and promised to contact us. When the material went to press, we were still waiting for his response.
Banksy once told Swindle magazine: “I have no interest in revealing my identity. I think there are already enough arrogant assholes trying to block you with their ugly faces.” Given that Banksy has been successfully covering his tracks for a very long time, it is of course possible that the trail we were following was false, that it was a well-thought-out deception. But if this is so, then this is the most elaborate scheme of subterfuge that has ever been invented. And if that's the case, then where is Robin Gunningham?
London talented artist, graffiti artist. Currently, his name (that is, a pseudonym - no one knows his real name) is the most popular in the world in the field of graffiti. Banksy is not only an excellent artist, but also an innovator, original, informal. His drawings cover the walls of London and attract the attention of everyone similar, not to mention true fans.
Currently, his name (that is, a pseudonym - no one knows his real name) is the most popular in the world in the field of graffiti. Banksy is not only an excellent artist, but also an innovator, original, informal. His drawings cover the walls of London and attract the attention of everyone similar, not to mention true fans.
There are suggestions that the artist's name is Banksy Roberts (or Robin). He was born in Bristol in 1974. His calling card is anonymity. Every graffiti fan dreams of meeting an artist, but not everyone is lucky. Moreover, it is believed that real facts His life, as well as photographs, are practically not available to anyone.
At the same time, Banksy is mega-popular today. Every publication dreams of talking to him, and no one who has the slightest knowledge of the real work of graffiti would refuse to purchase one of his works. Naturally, for a lot of money. However, the artist does not demonstrate his own person; moreover, he carefully hides himself. Perhaps, first of all, because it is extremely interesting to the local police.
Banksy first began to engage in such a fascinating type of drawing in the late nineties of the last century - initially, as a member of the DryBreadZ Crew. He soon became famous - Banksy was often detained by the police, and therefore the savvy artist decided to use a different technique in graffiti (drawing through a stencil).
Not many years have passed, but Banksy has already become popular not only in London and the surrounding area, but also in other countries. Now his works are exhibited at auctions and are actively bought for literally “crazy” money.
His graffiti is special. Each drawing is full of meaning and calls for something. Most of Banksy's graffiti is anti-war, freedom-loving, social and extremely relevant.
Banksy is an extreme person and, in a sense, a delinquent. A few years ago, for example, the artist replaced five hundred Paris Hilton disks with his own (with drawings). He did this secretly and with the help of his friend - Danger Mouse.
Some time ago Banksy was working in New Orleans. He painted the walls of the city with a dozen (or more) paintings, which were an outright protest against Radtke, a famous fighter against graffiti.
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. New job Banksy decorates a wall nearby financial center London. (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 resident of Palestine walks with her children past graffiti by Banksy, 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)
Hi all! How nice it is to know that so many people, visiting the blog “On the Edge”, expand their horizons by studying different sides life. Today's topic is art. There is such a variety of trends in the world: music, painting, sculpture, street art, body art and others.
Everyone can find something they like. Personally, I am inspired by artists. This incredible people with their vision of the world, many do not want to understand them, especially those who portray negative sides life, cruel reality, preferring to live in a world of illusions.
Whether it is worth condemning such people is difficult to answer. After all, if we look at life only through the prism of pessimism, then we will not be able to consider the good side. By seeing only the optimistic side, we will not be able to truly appreciate the moments of happiness that occur, taking them for granted.
Banksy is a mysterious artist
Live in balance, then you will be able to enjoy life. The artist I would like to talk about is famous for his mystery and special view of the world. Banksy's work, photos of which you can see here, will make you think about a lot.
Any artist puts into his work what he wants to convey to the viewer. You don't have to be a great connoisseur artistic arts to understand the importance of Banksy's paintings.
Each of the paintings is conceived with a certain subtext. Most people don’t even suspect that the “ordinary” pictures on the wall of an inconspicuous building, painted with a spray can, are the work of a famous master.
Famous works of Banksy and their brief description
For 20 years now, the artist has been delighting his fans with the appearance of his works in the most unexpected places. Banksy raised art street graffiti on new level. Most of his work is aimed at social issues, showing problems that we do not want to notice. Even the names speak for themselves.
Painting “Migrants are not welcome here”
Isn't this some kind of indicator of an absentee judgment about strangers who were forced to leave their homes. People sometimes forget about humanity in favor of their bias. Until it touches us, we will not understand what it is like. This is what Banksy wants to convey to us.
Or his painting of Steve Jobs, the head of Apple, who was a Syrian migrant.
"No future"
Also a symbolic vision of human life. We are consumed by the idea that every action or deed must have a meaning. People stopped thinking spiritually, looking for profit in everything.
Or is it the message “When will the wars end?”
Where people with machine guns surrounded a tired elephant. Many will take the search for light philosophically. They say that human nature is a constant struggle for territory, minerals and other benefits. But, in essence, war is ruinous and now it is much more profitable to come to an agreement than to waste resources on a meaningless, even unprofitable activity.
"London Maid"
A kind of caricature of Europe’s attitude towards the rest of the world. There is no concept of conscience, because if you take care of everyone in need, then you yourself will remain a loser. The painting lasted about a week until the authorities, considering it provocative, painted over the wall.
"Please love me"
And although love is considered a sublime feeling, the artist wants to show with this painting practical side feelings. Pointing out that appearance is not important, the main thing is the commonality of views on things. Then the chance of maintaining the duration of love is much higher in comparison with falling in love after the first meeting.
“Differences of views, different people on the same things”
We are all different and sometimes these differences lead to conflict. So the picture shows two people from different layers. One stands for love, the other is symbolically against, condoning violence. Obviously, aggression always wins.
Painting “No More Heroes”
Men in last years They are so used to solving their problems at the expense of others. Waiting to be rescued by heroes, or even trying on this mask. What the result will be after is not important to us. It creates the illusion that any loser can become a hero, but this is not true. With such thoughts, humanity expects collapse.
It would take a long time to describe Banksy's paintings. It is important to understand that this artist's vision brings with it an outside perspective that is necessary for each of us to stop and think for a moment. Perhaps then this world can be saved.
Art for everyone
Banksy creates his masterpieces for the soul. One of his paintings written on front door youth club in Bristol "Mobile Lovers", is of a charitable nature. She gained incredible popularity, which saved the club from closure.
Another of Banksy’s most famous paintings is Slave Labor, painted specifically for the 60th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The sale of the painting brought the artist more than 750,000 euros.
And Banksy’s famous documentary “Exit Through the Gift Shop.” It was even nominated for an Academy Award in 2011 for Best Documentary Feature.
A recent achievement, an amusement park organized by Banksy, but with a certain ironic accent. A kind of reverse side of the famous Disneyland.
Many celebrities get tattoos famous paintings Banksy, paying tribute to the artist who, despite criticism, defends his point of view of the world.
The main intrigue of Banksy’s personality is the incognito that he has maintained for so many years. Although, while painting the wall of one of the pubs in London, Banksy's face appeared on a video camera. And British scientists claim in all seriousness that they have declassified the identity of the artist; judging by their calculations, he turned out to be Robin Henningham.
There was no confirmation from the artist himself. So it remains for the audience and fans of the street artist’s talent to judge whether this is true or not.
The street gives birth to great artists
While creating his famous film, Banksy worked with many talented and famous artists street art. One of them was Space Invader, his name is associated with the game of the late 70s, space invader.
The Invader became famous for drawing pixel mosaics, but not just depicting them chaotically, but thoughtfully choosing his plot and places for it. Such an unusual invasion plan.
But the undisputed classic of pop art is Andy Warhol, whose works served as inspiration for many aspiring artists.
He was one of the first to use screen printing. Now this trick makes life much easier for street artists by helping them save time. Indeed, in many countries, street art is an illegal act of vandalism, for example in England.
Russian street art artist Pavel 183 gave us his creativity until he left. He gained fame after the English media compared his talent to the famous Bansky. From that time on, Pasha 183’s friends began to call him Banksy, the English Pasha.
The French mural painter Thierry Guetta is also famous for his talent. collaborations with Banksy, in documentary film, where he was assigned the main role, added even more popularity. An emigrant who moved to the City of Angels and opened his own business, he did not think then that he would be captivated by the art of street art.
Although his style is different from Banksy, he uses ready-made photo images, bringing something new to them, putting his own stamp on them.
Text— Agent Q.
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