One of my favorite artist is Bansky. He surpasses being called just a graffiti artist in my eyes. His work pushes the limits and can sometimes be viewed as controversial. As you look below at some of my favorites you can get an idea of his style. (The above painting was done in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina)
Banksy started as a freehand graffiti artist 1992–1994 as one of Bristol’s DryBreadZ Crew (DBZ), with Kato and Tes.He was inspired by local artists and his work was part of the larger Bristol underground scene. From the start he used stencils as elements of his freehand pieces, too. By 2000 he had turned to the art of stencilling after realising how much less time it took to complete a piece. He claims he changed to stencilling whilst he was hiding from the police under a train carriage, when he noticed the stencilled serial number and by employing this technique, he soon became more widely noticed for his art around Bristol and London. Banksy’s stencils feature striking and humorous images occasionally combined with slogans. The message is usually anti-war, anti-capitalist or anti-establishment. Subjects include rats, monkeys, policemen, soldiers, children, and the elderly. -Wikipedia
As you may have already heard, the Banksy piece on LaBrea was removed yesterday morning. Jet Set Graffiti provides the complete story, as well as the above video exclusive. “On the morning of April 13th, 2010, Ace Gallery owner Doug Christmas organized the removal of a Banksy painting from it’s installation location at 410 S. LaBrea Ave. in Los Angeles. This “Banksy” has not been authenticated by the artist and is being sold as an unauthorized gallery artwork. Do NOT support this sale; the work is now considered counterfeit.” More information at www.jetsetgraffiti.com –Highsnobiety.com
What Do You Think?
-Phaon Spurlock, The Southern Gentleman