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During the late 1990s, Banksy rose to prominence for his

provocative stenciled pieces, which we often controversial, and


politically or philosophically themed. Banksy, is a street artist whose
identity remains unknown, even after over 20 years of being involved
with the graffiti scene. Very little is known about Banksy himself, as he
refuses to be interviewed and keeps his identity carefully maintained.
Hes believed to be born in Bristol, England, around 1974. Banksys
career began as a graffiti artist, working for Bristols graffiti gang
DryBreadZ Crew or DBZ, later he partnered with Inkie, another notable
graffiti street artist. Street art fanatics are consistently satisfied with
every piece of art he delivers, though he often leaves them wanting
more, this is known as the Banksy Effect.1
During his early work, most of his work was freehand, and on
occasion he used stencils. Then in the late 90s he began using
stencils more predominantly, often in the form of multi-layered
stencils, combining with other media sources, such as spray paint. In
his work, he also includes anything found in the streets like street signs
and other objects to convey his message through crafting beautiful
street art installations. His work became widely recognized, once his
signature style developed throughout Bristol and London. Changing his
artwork from being acts of vandalism to sought-after high art pieces.

1 Banksy Bio (A&E Television Networks, 2014),

Banksys artwork is characterized by striking images, often


combined with slogans. His work often engages political themes,
satirically critiquing war, capitalism, hypocrisy and greed. Common
subjects include rats, apes, policemen, members of the royal family,
and children. His pieces draw attention from their edgy themes or the
boldness of their execution. He is also known for his artwork which use
copyrighted material and subversions of classical images, for example
Banksys version of Monets famous series of water lilies, which he
interpreted by adding drifting trash and debris to the painting.
Banksy is mostly known for his two-dimensional work, he is also
known for his installation artwork. When Banksy opened his exhibit,
Barely Legal, during September of 2006, in Los Angeles. He unveiled
Tai, a 37 year-old elephant, who was painted in pink and gold to match
the wallpaper in the exhibit. According to the exhibits leaflets, a
simple message read, Theres an elephant in the room, theres a
problem we never talk about. The problem he was trying to get across
was world hunger., this was one of his most celebrated pieces. This
piece sparked controversy among animal rights activists.

Banksys art has been seen across the world, his travels include
Australia, England, the United States, Israel, Jamaica, and even
Canada. Most recently in October during the year 2013, he spent an

2 Sean Lynch, Banksys 50 Greatest Pieces (2013),


http://www.complex.com/style/2013/11/banksy-greatest-works.

entire month in New York City with his street art. There he pledged to
create a new piece of art each day, some will be pretty elaborate, and
some will just be a scrawl on a toilet wall. While he was there, he also
sold some his works on the street for only $60 a piece, which is well
below the market value for his art.

Bibliography:
Lynch, Sean. Banksys 50 Greatest Pieces, Complex. (2013),,
http://www.complex.com/style/2013/11/banksy-greatest-works.
About Banksy Biography, Street Artist Biographies. (2013),
http://www.streetartbio.com/#!banksy/cyfo.
Banksy, Bio. (2014), http://www.biography.com/people/banksy20883111#identity.

3 About Banksy Biography, (2013), http://www.streetartbio.com/#!


banksy/cyfo.

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