Banksy: The “Biography” of a Graffiti Street Art Leged

Romina Miranda

The name Banksy ignites controversy, starts conversations and piques curiosity. Banksy is undoubtedly the most controversial street artist to emerge on the global stage. The fact that his identity remains unknown after 20 years on the graffiti scene only adds to the intrigue that surrounds his work. The works of Banksy have appeared in America, Australia, Canada, England, France, Israel, Jamaica and Palestine. Wherever Banksy goes, he makes an impact. His pictorial and satirical messages cross the boundaries between art, philosophy, politics, sociology, humor and narcissism.

Banksy is the godfather of a new form of pop art that originated on the street. He used a foundation created by peers to spread powerful messages using accessible street art. Anyone can see Banksy’s stencil art, which enables him to reach a large audience and to make strong statements. City officials have the power to paint over works or allow them to stay. Even when his ephemeral art is destroyed, it draws attention to political issues. Such strong attention, that when most people visit our gallery of Banksy prints, it leads to hours of browsing.

The works of Banksy are often inspired by other street art luminaries and classical artists. This is another controversial area. Banksy has credited 3D of the British band Massive Attack as a source of inspiration. However, connections to the French graffiti artist Blek le Rat, who is known as the Father of Stencil Graffiti, have caused much more commotion.

Although Blek was initially pleased to inspire other artists, he has publicly challenged Banksy’s copycat style. On the other side, Banksy has said that every time he does something, he finds out that Blek Le Rat has done it twenty years earlier. Similarities between the rats pictured in Blek’s work show a distinct overlap. Whoever Banksy is, he has made an unforgettable impact on the world and experienced tremendous commercial success. As an unrivaled phenomenon, Banksy’s irreverent, socio-political style is paving the way for future street artists and perhaps changing the way that graffiti is seen.

Banksy may recycle old ideas, but he also inspires new creations from talented and not-so-talented artists. The recent commercial success of other street artists has been dubbed the “Banksy effect.”

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