Banksy: Wall and Piece

Banksy: Wall and Piece is a collection of work done by the notorious street artist who goes only by Banksy. The book is composed of photographs of his work ranging from graffiti to fine art and including the process of both. Through out the book there are short anecdotes and quotes by Banksy and others. His work is found all over the world. Many of his public street art carries a political message. He is known by many aspiring artist as Banksy. He has kept his real identity hidden to the public. With no face to his alias name his message is even more dramatic. “People either love me or they hate me, or they don’t really care.”

Banksy works in so many different mediums it’s hard to place him into a genre of artist other than the blanketed term “street artist”. He uses fake surveillance cameras, stencils, spray paint, parking cones, piss stains, and phone booths. He uses the streets, buildings, walls, sand, paintings, signs, people, and pigs as his canvas’. This book takes you around the world following his work from New York, London, Vienna, Bristol, Barcelona, Paris, and Palestine.

The opening page written by Banksy gives you a great starting point for who the hell this guy is and why he sneaks around doing what he believes so hole heartedly in. Truth. He illustrates his truth a thousand different ways over the next two hundred some pages. He says, “Despite what they say graffiti is not the lowest form or art. Although you might have to creep about at night and lie to your mum it’s actually one of the more honest art forms available. There is no elitism or hype, it exhibits on the best walls a town has to offer and nobody is put off by the price of admission.” 

Wall and Pieces is beautifully laid out flowing from an intense introduction of a phantom artist into powerful photos of his inspiring work. Through his work you see a process unfold with powerful stories from history and personal experience. A photo of small school girl hugging a giant bomb with a small heart looming over her innocent head is paired with this caption, “It takes a lot of guts to stand up anonymously in a western democracy and call for things no-one else believes in - like peace and justice and freedom.” Not all of the work is heavy in political undertones. Pulp Fiction’s Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta pose in black and white with freshly painted bananas replacing their guns. Turn the page and their guns are back but now they both are wearing obnoxious banana costumes. A black and white stenciled piece of the queen of England sitting on some skank’s face is followed by a quote that reads, “Conversations don’t get any better as you get older.” Wall and Piece takes a fresh and free approach trying to explain a man who no one really knows. Banksy is a phenomenal artist with a passion rivaled by few who remains a mystery to most and a sliver of truth for us all.