Banksy
Banksy
Banksy is an England-based graffiti artist, political activist and film director of unverified identity. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique. His works of political and social commentary have been featured on streets, walls, and bridges of cities throughout the world. Banksy's work grew out of the Bristol underground scene, which involved collaborations between artists and musicians. Observers have noted that his style is similar to Blek le Rat,...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionArtist
christmas lying years
At this time of year it's easy to forget the true meaning of Christianity - the lies, the corruption, the abuse.
art clever years
I'd been painting rats for three years before someone said 'that's clever it's an anagram of art' and I had to pretend I'd known that all along.
great paintings
It's great, I guess, when your paintings are hanging up in a museum.
characters classic good letters york
I started painting graffiti in the classic New York style of big letters and characters but I was never very good at it.
art scrub
Graffiti's always been a temporary art form. You make your mark and then they scrub it off.
art form guy legitimate money perfectly protest
I wouldn't want to be remembered as the guy who contaminated a perfectly legitimate form of protest art with money and celebrities.
art course judged
Should graffiti be judged on the same level as modern art? Of course not: It's way more important than that.
sky castles needs
You don't need planning permission to build castles in the sky
art people holy-grail
The holy grail is to spend less time making the picture than it takes people to look at it.
art thinking age
I think its pretty clear that film is the pre-eminent art form of our age. If Michaelangelo or Leonardo Da Vinci were alive today they’d be making Avatar, not painting a chapel. Film is incredibly democratic and accessible, it’s probably the best option if you actually want to change the world, not just re-decorate it.
art alive painting
I’ve learnt from experience that a painting isn’t finished when you put down your brush - that’s when it starts. The public reaction is what supplies meaning and value. Art comes alive in the arguments you have about it.
art guy want
I wouldnt want to be remembered as the guy who contaminated a perfectly legitimate form of protest art with money and celebrities.
art book mean
I know street art can feel increasingly like the marketing wing of an art career, so I wanted to make some art without the price tag attached. There's no gallery show or book or film. It's pointless. Which hopefully means something.
rocks space giving
Brandalism Any advertisement in public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It belongs to you. It's yours to take, rearrange and re-use. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head.