Blek's oldest preserved street art graffito, a 1991 replica of Caravaggio's Madonna di Loreta, which he dedicated to his future wife Sybille, was rediscovered behind posters on a house wall in Leipzig, Germany, in 2012. In 1985, he was on the first meeting of the graffiti and urban art movement in Bondy (France), on the VLP's. He also recognised the influence of Canadian artist Richard Hambleton, who painted large-scale human figures in the 1980s. Initially influenced by the early graffiti-art of New York City after a visit in 1971, he chose a style which he felt better suited Paris, due to the differing architecture of the two cities.

His name originates from the comic book Blek le Roc, using 'rat' as an anagram for 'art'. He described the rat as 'the only free animal in the city', and one which 'spreads the plague everywhere, just like street art'. Banksy also said, “If you feel dirty, insignificant or unloved, then rats are a good role model.The iconic stencils of rats by Blek le Ratīlek began his artwork in 1981, painting stencils of rats on the walls of Paris streets. The rats can also be read as a metaphor for the unstoppable force from the streets that is graffiti. He said, “The son of a photocopier technician, trained as a butcher but became involved in graffiti art during the great Bristol aerosol boom of the late 1980s.” Banksy’s rats are one of his most recognizable motifs from early in his career and are a nod to Blek Le Rat, a famous graffiti artist in France who Banksy was inspired by. According to Tristan Manco - a street art expert - Banksy was born in 1974 and raised in Bristol, England. His style and political messages have, ironically, been wholeheartedly embraced by the very type of people he mocks.ĭespite his renown, Banksy’s identity is still shrouded in mystery.

Banksy has gone from a teenage tagger to a well-known artist making multi-million dollar art which is often imitated but never duplicated.

He’s especially known for his stencil art style and satirical artworks which often take on topics such as politics, culture, and ethics. Banksy is an anonymous British artist specializing in graffiti street art.

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