BANKSY

The infamous street artist known as Banksy has found himself in a position no other artist has ever been. So many artists struggle through life creating only to die before anyones begins to give a shit about what they’ve devoted their lives to. Banksy, who has yet to reveal his true identity to the public, has been able to draw an incredible audience while lurking in the shadows. It’s as if he is dead, his work very much alive and growing. Japanese artist Hokusai lived from 1760-1849 and is most famously known for The Great Wave off Kanagawa (said to be the first glimpse of graphic design). Think of the first Japanese piece of art that comes to mind (It’s his woodcut print of that sick blue wave). Hokusai made his mark on the art world just as Banksy is doing so today, however Banksy is in the rare position to watch his art grow and influence his audience. Hokusai had no clue as to how far his influence would reach. Banksy, unlike any artist today, is in the powerful position to create art and at the same time detach himself from it. He can create art and truth to a world ready to listen; not to the artist, but to the art. 

Banksy is said to have grown up in Bristol, England where he became involved in the underground graffiti scene. Much of his work comments on the governments labeling of graffiti as vandalism. Banksy’s graffiti and street art is all about the taking back the streets using his art themed by social and political issues. His commentary on our society although comedic at times, carries a heavy message often circling around anti-war and anti-establishment. We live in a media-hungry-capitalist society today and his directly work calls it out. 

Banksy has been able to develop a body of work overtime that crosses oceans and borders spanning the entire globe. The medium he’s chosen plays a pivotal role in his success. Art available for free public viewing has its way of reaching a large audience. There is little evidence explaining the process of his creations. More often than not the process is illegal and considered vandalism. Whether he performs his craft alone or with a team of ten, he has continued to produce work without being caught. You would expect at least a few slip-ups after close to 30 years of sneaking around. His process gives him the opportunity to proceed with his art as an anonymous voice. 

Banksy tends to do more stencil work than anything else. A stencil is used in conjunction with spray paint to create a graphic on a surface. They can be as simple as a few letters (B.A.N.K.S.Y.) or as complex as a full-body portrait (small vietnamese boy yielding a machine gun). They are most easily conceived when an image is converted into one light section (highlights) and one dark section (lowlights). When looking at his piece depicting a lesbian-love scene from the book “Banksy: Wall and Piece” you can distinctly make out the form of Queen Victoria with her one-quarter profile. She sports the royal crown, guarders and stilettos. She’s riding her less detailed female companions face. All of this imagery is accomplished with black spray paint on a light surface assumably using multiple stencils. The stark contrast between the paint and surface is mirrored in the bold content of the piece. Rumored to be a comment on the Queen’s refusal to pass the legislation outlawing lesbianism. She refused to believe women would act in such an un-lady-like manner (as she does so blatantly in Banksy’s piece). The public location of his stencil plays a huge role in its success. His art is noticeable because these public places are not designed to be used as free canvas. A gift shop’s roller shutter only seen after nine o’clock at night (after closing) is obviously not intended to have an image of a sweet old queen straddling another woman. Banksy’s choice of using stencils makes it easy to create multiple displays of the same image. Many Queen Victoria pieces were created and the majority were cleaned and removed quickly. The strategic placement of a few lasted much longer. Spray paint lends itself to perfectly to the importance of placement, content, and speed, all things that determine the success of his public art. Always poking fun at authority and social problems, he has to be careful when and where he performs the deed to make sure he’s not spotted by anyone. Spray paint and stencils are the most efficient way for him to get in and out unseen. The composition of Queen Victoria stands out compared to many two-dimensional stencils. His ability to create detail and depth with one color is remarkable. Using only black paint he is able to pull the Queen forward with detailed accents in her crown and cane while pushing her partner back with less paint, detail, and more implied lines. Banksy uses minimal colors and relies more on a gestalt notion that the viewer will subconsciously fill in the areas left blank creating an image as a whole. These dramatic, often black on white (or concrete), works cater to his equally dramatic and comedic messages. 

On a bleak white wall on Marylebone Road in Westminster, UK a stencil was made reading, “BY ORDER NATIONAL HIGHWAYS AGENCY. THIS WALL IS A DESIGNATED GRAFFITI AREA. PLEASE TAKE YOUR LITTER HOME. EC REF. URBA 23/366.” The text is done in a classic stenciled font, all capitals, centered in a forest green under a small crest containing a crown, shield, banner and two opposing lions. Banksy did a number of these “Designated area” signs, the first attempt he deliberately spelled graffiti wrong (graffiti). Within weeks these areas were littered with public graffiti. His design was believable even though it casually read, “PLEASE TAKE YOUR LITTER HOME,” and the crest atop the text was copied from a cigarette pack. His casual approach to the design and it’s obvious success are hilarious. The fed station across the street from the Westminster piece told kids it was “cool” when they asked if it was really legal to tag the wall. The area officials in charge of restricting this kind of “vandalism” were fooled for a decent period of time making you wonder if these kids simply need is a designated area to work or if the designation of an area means shit at all. Banksy posted similar stencils in the San Francisco area reading, “POST NO BILLS. AUTHORIZED GRAFFITI AREA. CITY OF SF NO LOITERING.” Within four days city workers had modified his piece by only painting over the “AUTHORIZED GRAFFITI AREA” portion, leaving the proper portion of his “vandalism” up for viewing. His process with these pieces is far from simple. He has to approach the wall being tagged at an appropriate time and quick enough so not be caught. The placement on multiple walls gives more legitimacy to the pieces. These fake signs showcase the process and the importance of the secrecy behind his operations. Without Banksy’s secrecy these would not see the high traffic resulting in large reactions by other street artists. His direct calling to authority on the subject revolving around graffiti and vandalism is heard loud and clear by artists exposed to the work. The statement each piece makes directly motivates the artists to graffiti on these walls while at the same time making city workers question whether it’s right or wrong - a question they might not otherwise ask. He’s able to see the cause and effect posing as an authority for both sides. Being in his position as an influence and as an artist is something unique. 

In 2010 Banksy directed a documentary titled, “Exit Through the Gift Shop.” While many accepted the film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, some claimed it was a hoax or prank. Roger Ebert’s review begins with, “The widespread speculation the ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ is a hoax only adds to its fascination.” It’s true that whether the film is a documentary or a “mocumentary” Banksy exploited a relatively new art movement in a way no one has been able to do. With the help of tens of thousands of video tapes provided by the star of film, Thierry Guetta, Banksy and his small production team was able to give an inside look to the graffiti and further question the definition of “good” art. He appeared in the film and commented on  Thierry’s story and the process of the documentary.

The film begins by introducing Thierry Guetta, a camera-obsessed-frenchman with some killer mutton chops. He seems to enjoy filming every waking moment of his life. In 1999 he is introduced to the up-and-coming street art scene by his cousin who is known as “Space Invader” for his themed street artwork. The documenting of this new art movement was crucial to the movements success because unlike most art meant to withstand time, street art can last only a matter of moments. Thierry and his camera captured some of the most influential names in street art in their most raw moments. He met Shepard Fairey - responsible for the Obama poster, who led him to Banksy - the one they said he’d never get. Thierry teams up with Banksy to document his work and the publics reaction to it. Thierry earned his trust after a stunt at Disneyland involving a blowup doll dressed like a Guantanamo Bay prisoner. Banksy remarked on the incident, “I spent years trying to keep things under wraps, maybe I needed to trust someone.” Banksy holds his first major U.S. exhibition called “Barely Legal.” The art world turns their eyes to the successful show-turned-event forcing street art into the spotlight. Art collectors holding work by Picasso, Mondrian, and Paul Clay now needed a “Banksy.” Banksy makes it very clear in the film it was never about money or the hype. Thierry fails miserably at his street art documentary attempt and heads back to L.A. to become an artist (Banksy’s orders). Banksy takes over his tape collection and begins constructing “Exit through the Gift Shop.” Thierry turns into his street art alias “Mister Brainwash” who creates a overabundance of mindless, expensive, unoriginal art later thrown into an exhibit titled “Life is Beautiful.” Banksy shared his feelings on his mistake endorsing Mr. Brainwash’s exhibition, “I used to encourage everyone I knew to make art. I don’t do that so much anymore.” He is rendered almost speechless with the overwhelming success and approval of his show and art by the public. He shrugs, “Maybe it means art is a joke...” 

“Exit Through the Gift Shop” is a unique insight to a world otherwise unseen; the artistic process of the biggest names in street art. The act of street art often labeled as vandalism forces these artists to work in the shadows. Banksy utilizes his the speed of his spray-paint and stencils. With a different medium his ability to produce work aside from the public eye would be near impossible. With years of practice and growth in process, Banksy has become an efficient artist maintaining his low profile. He works around the world, never in one spot too ofter, to ensure he remains a mystery. He is here to make art for the public, not for the hype, not for the money, but for people to see and for people to think. Some artists move on from street art with great success breaking onto a bigger stage commanding a greater audience while others remain in the dark. Banksy is still playing in the dark but seeing a lot of success while doing so. Creating a documentary commenting on his own work, process, genre, and culture was beyond flirting with a self-revelation. He temporarily and successfully changed mediums from street art to film while continuing to inform and challenge a society that sometimes sees with out really seeing. Banksy has travelled the world and displayed his work. If he chooses to remain anonymous he has the opportunity to watch and lead the street art movement further pushing the envelope as to what art is and what it can be. Hokusai’s wood block prints led stemmed a graphic movement that rules todays mass-media culture. Time will tell where Banksy goes with it.