BIOGRAPHY - BANKSY Banksy is a mythical character in the Street Art scene. His name is inevitable in the art world and the value of his work is steadily (and dramatically) increasing! The Bristol-based artist has an extensive portfolio and produces striking works that are highly critical of society. His graffiti often carries anti-capitalist, anarchist, anti-systemic and anti-milarist messages. In spite of his secret identity, the artist is recognised worldwide and acclaimed by many art lovers. In 2007, he even received the prize for the best living English artist "Art's Greatest Living Briton", a very great honour, which he will not come to collect himself. Banksy's Street Artist career began in the late 1990s, early 2000s. He was first part of a graffiti collective called Bristol's DryBreadZ Crew. He will make his first works in Bristol, the city he comes from. One of the notable works of this period is the fresco The Mild Mild West in 1999. It was created following numerous altercations between the police and participants of clandestine parties at the time. In 2003, the artist designed the cover of Blur's album, Think Thank. The artist, who usually avoids commercial collaborations, defended his decision by maintaining that the album was good and that doing something commercial wasn't especially bad, if it was something that made sense. The satirical and subversive irony that characterizes the artist's works has aroused the curiosity of the art world and has been the subject of much ink over the years. In addition to his Street art works created on the walls of the different cities he passes through, the artist has created a series of other projects. In 2004, he targeted the royal family by printing £10 banknotes with Princess Diana's face in place of Queen Elizabeth. These were accompanied by the words "Banksy of England" in reference to the "Bank of England". In 2005, the graffiti artist went to the West Bank with a project in mind: Santa's Ghetto. He takes advantage of the anniversary of the opinion delivered by the International Court of Justice in The Hague condemning the Israeli-Palestinian separation barrier. He will create nine works in broad daylight, under the stunned gaze of the forces of law and order. In 2006, the artist inaugurated the exhibition Barely Legal in Los Angeles. The exhibition was a big hit, and for good reason: there was a real elephant in the room. This one was referring to the expression "An Elephant in the Room" which means that people never talk about the most important issues even if they are right in front of them. The exhibited works all spoke about different aspects of modern society according to Banksy and were renamed Barely Legal Print Set. The artist's fame is now international and in 2008 he managed to organise the Cans Festival, an exhibition devoted to Stencil Art in an abandoned tunnel in London, in which many artists from all over the world took part. The year 2010 marks his first cinematic achievement with the entry of his documentary "Exit trough the Gift Shop" at the Sundance festival. It relates the rise of the artist Thierry Guetta, better known as Mr. Brainwash. Public Relations So Rare sprl · Avenue Minerve 9, bte 129 · 1190 Bruxelles Belgique [email protected] · www.sophiecarree.be · T+32 2 346 05 00 In 2015, Banksy, in collaboration with other artists, will inaugurate Dismaland, a gloomy version of Disneyland. The park is full of works that are supposed to make us think about the absurdity of our society. In 2019, the artist opened the Gross Domestic Product in London, a temporary shop selling his work. Like all his other projects, it was born overnight. To buy the products on display, an online shop had been created since it was impossible to enter the shop. His most recent intervention is a work entitled "Sneezy" on a house in Bristol. It depicts an old lady sneezing and spitting out her dentures at the same time. It seems that the force of her sneeze makes the buildings in the street bend, given the way the artist has placed the figure. Banksy's identity remains a mystery to this day, despite his many years of activity. Despite the vagueness surrounding his anonymity, there are three plausible theories to answer the question: Who is Banksy? The first is Robert Del Naja (3D of his graffiti artist name). Leader of the music group Massive Attack, he is known as an old friend of Banksy. The second is Robin Cunningham, another Bristol street artist. Finally, some hypotheses lead us to believe that Banksy is none other than... Mr. Brainwash! Banksy's works are touching, exciting and sometimes amusing. He has an undeniable talent for conveying his opinions in a style all his own. Street Art is for him a way to make art more accessible to the general public and to make himself known worldwide without having to show his face. The subjects he represents the most are the elderly, children, police officers and animals. His use of the rat is an obvious influence of Blek Le Rat, another renowned Street Artist. He loves to talk about the problems inherent in our society. In Flower Thrower, Banksy decries the pervasive violence in society and tries to convey a message of peace by depicting the demonstrator throwing a bouquet of flowers. Another example can be seen in Kissing Coppers. The artist shows two British police officers kissing each other in order to convey a message of tolerance, placing the symbols of authority in a position favourable to the LGBTQ+ community. Banksy has shown his aversion to war and capitalism on many occasions, notably in Napalm Girl. This is one of the artist's most powerful and poignant works. The artist hoped to provoke a strong reaction by putting the carefree and playful side of American culture side by side with its dark and superficial side. The artist's works are often accompanied by political significance. An example of this can be seen in Sweep It Under The Carpet. Banksy wanted to denounce the British government's handling of the AIDS situation. A world-famous and adored artist, his identity is a mystery, but what is obvious is that he has not finished making a name for himself. ___ Deodato Art Contemporary Art Gallery Rue Saint-Jean 28 1000 Brussels Tel. +32 (0)2 808 74 43 deodato.be Public Relations So Rare sprl · Avenue Minerve 9, bte 129 · 1190 Bruxelles Belgique [email protected] · www.sophiecarree.be · T+32 2 346 05 00 .