To many the sight of a wall scrawled with spray paint is an eyesore and depressing.
It purports a careless society. It reminds us of vandalism and thugs on the streets.
But what if the graffiti was intelligent, thought provoking or just plain funny?
Such is the work of the British urban guerrilla artist known only as Banksy.
Thought to have first appeared in Bristol, his works are usually of layered stencil.
One of his commonest images is of rats.
Sometimes by adding them to an existing notice or object, what is plain and uninteresting becomes amusing. In the next two images he brings a smile to the face by decorating a “No Swimming” sign with a rat in a lifebelt, and of one breaking into a meter.
Not only the walls are used for his work. The pavements are used to add to the image, and sometimes one wall is not enough.
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The above picture of the Cop Snorting Coke is one of many images of the police, that he has done over the years since he first started in the early 90s.
Perhaps it is a challenge for them to catch him. (Not an easy job as he remains completely anonymous, known only to close friends and his agent.)
Perhaps not. Maybe it’s just his sense of humour. He’s placing them in situations we would not normally see them in.
Other topics that he covers are more thought provoking, like these children swearing allegiance to the supermarket giant Tesco.
Much of his work appears to be commenting on how he sees modern society and the way we live today.
Is it art? Does society think it is?
The answer must be yes, as local Councils, under pressure from local inhabitant are working to preserve these works.
How long will they last? Who knows, but as the value of his studio works rise into the hundreds of thousands of pounds and there are web sites that show the map locations of “Banksys”, I have a feeling that many Councils will keep them as Tourist attractions.
This is the first in a series of articles.The next are
Banksy in Bethlehem: Art and the Barrier Between Two Nations
Banksy Storms New Orleans: Banksy vs the Grey Ghost
Urban Graffiti Artist Banksy Opens a Pet Shop
Banksy Gunrat Will Double Value of British Pub
Banksy: How to Make Millions with Spraycan and Stencil
Banksy Punked Paris Hilton: Cunning Stunts
Or all may be seen on Triond at
C Jordan
