Tale Of Banksy: Graffiti's Very Best

If you want to say something & have people listen, then you have to wear a mask. – Banksy

So who is this anonymous graffiti artist selling for six-figure sums?

The password to my laptop is actually ‘graffiti’. As an artist, I fell in love with the art, the philosophy & everything that comes with it. It has also had an influence on my style over the years. But then again this article is not about me but about one of the greatest graffiti artist of all time, who has a dedicated cult following from across the globe, but no one knows who he actually is! (Except of course the few who know)

So for those who don’t know what graffiti is. It is an informal style of art which you find mostly in urban areas, suburbs, abandoned places, tunnels, walls, restricted zones, fancy surfaces or should I say just about anywhere. If it can be sprayed on then it’s fit for graffiti. For the most part it is illegal though, which explains why most graffiti artists decide to remain anonymous.

How then did someone like Banksy shoot to fame? 

Well, he began graffiti painting as a rebellious teen on the streets of Bristol, a city in South West England. He adopted the name ‘Banksy’ to protect his image but wasn’t really famous till he moved to London.

His art went viral after his move to London. His stencils were appearing on walls around the city, gaining public attention. He entered a mutual relationship with Steve Lazarides, a photographer, who became his agent & hype man. He became one of the biggest names on the British graffiti scene.

There’s nothing more dangerous than someone who wants to make the world a better place. – Banksy

His style was influenced by French graffiti artist ‘Blek le Rat’, who used stencils to create his graffiti image & whose message was politically worded. 

Banksy employed the stencil technique along with his wit & satire to send across his politically views on urban & global issues. He was the unauthorised ‘voice of the streets’ or should I say ‘writing on the wall’. Today, not every Banksy can be found on the streets anymore. Some are found in galleries & by the mid 2000s they were already selling for huge six-figure sums. 

Artists are remembered not by continually creating rubbish but by occasionally producing masterpieces. His philosophy & legacy along with his unparalleled wit would definitely live beyond him. He was an innovator, he did what graffiti artists all over the world already did but he took it one step better. His name alone, inspires a whole new generation of graffiti artists & history would always remember him.

SOME OF BANKSY MOST EXPENSIVE ARTWORKS

Keep it Spotless	$1,700,000
Girl With Red Balloon (2002)	$1,135,219
Simple Intelligence Testing	$1,093,400
Submerged Phonebooth	$960,000
Bacchus at Seaside	$769,298
Happy Shopper (2009)	$689,514
Monkey Detonator	$589,544
The  Rude Lord	$550,314
Silent Majority (1998)	$550,000
Rembrandt (2009)	$541,761
Think Tank (2003)	$516,120
Space Girl & Bird (2000)	$479,926