Mrs. Fox

Enigmatic Graffiti Artist

“Is graffiti art or vandalism?

“I originally set out to try and save the world, but now I’m not sure I like it enough.” - Banksy

“Remember crime against property is not real crime. People look at an oil painting and admire the use of brushstrokes to convey

meaning. People look at a graffiti painting and admire the use of a drainpipe to gain access,”

Interesting…• Banksy is the

pseudonym of a "guerrilla" street artist known for his controversial, and often politically themed, stenciled pieces

• Believed to be born in Bristol, England around 1974

Satire• The use of humor,

irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices

“Biography”

• In 2010 Time Magazine named Banksy one of the top 100 most influential people

• He supplied a picture of himself with a paper bag (recyclable, naturally) over his head

• His documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, which was nominated for an Academy Award

Big Bucks• In 2008, Bono and

Sotheby’s organized the biggest charity art auction ever, raising $42.5 million to support AIDS programs in Africa

• Banksy’s Ruined Landscape sold for $385,000.

• A Vandalized Phone Box sold for $605,000.

Process• Creates his own

original stencils• plays on the

perspective and edges of existing surface on which he is stenciling

• Spray paint/hand painting finishing

Influence• Blek Le Rat• “Father of

Stencil Graffiti” • Inventor of the

life-sized stencil, as well as the first to transform stencil from basic lettering into pictoral art

Project on the Wall of the West Bank

This Photograph on the left is from the Vietnam War taken June 8, 1972. It shows Kim Phuc as a 9 year-old-girl running from her home by Trang Bang after it was attacked in a Napalm blast.

The piece on the right is titled, “Napalm”, by Banksy, 2004.