Banksy, his pseudonymous name and the only thing we know for certain about the England based

graffiti artist. Although his true identity is unknown, his work is recognized all around the world. He has work from the streets of Los Angeles to walls in the Middle East and has sold his work to Hollywood A-listers such as Angelina Jolie for nearly $2 million. Despite his fame and paintings selling for six or seven figures, Banksy continues to paint the streets in a less than legal manner and keeps his identity completely anonymous to the general public. His work is often satirical and subversive combined with dark humor done in a distinctive stenciling technique and has become a signature style that can immediately be recognized as a Banksy. His works often addresses serious political and social issues; and wherever he goes, someones feathers are bound to get ruffled over his work. So just exactly who is Banksy; what is his message; and why does he continue to paint in the illegal and anonymous manner that he does, when he could easily and legally paint on a canvas and sell it for millions?

Known for his disgust for the governments opinion of graffiti as vandalism, Banksy displays his art on public surfaces such as walls, bridges, mailboxes, roads, and buildings and which is often less than legal. In fact, most of his work is technically illegal, but that does not stop him. According to Banksy:

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Graffiti is not the lowest form of art. Despite having to creep about at night and lie to your mum its actually the most honest art form available. There is no elitism or hype, it exhibits on some of the best walls a town has to offer, and nobody is put off by the price of admission.

To start, Banksy would create all his of graffitti freehand. However, this was very time consuming and he needed all the time he could get. Due to pursuing authorities and the disagreement of the legality of his art work Banksy turned to the art of stenciling. Furthermore, by using stencils, Banksy could recreate the same image hundreds of times all across a city in only a few hours. Now a majority of his work is done in a distinctive stencil form. His stencils feature striking and humorous images occasionally combined with slogans. Subjects often include rats, apes, policemen, soldiers, children, and the elderly. The most common of these are his monkeys and rats. Though Banksys face has never been seen, he often appears wearing a monkey mask while applying his art to guarantee his anonymity. Banksy also brings this theme of monkeys into his stencils. This theme of monkeys first appeared when he stenciled a series of them on a subway in London and continues to appear in his work to this day. These rather forlorn looking apes carry signs on which he writes various sayings and slogans, typically about

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the distressing state of the world. As one of mans closest genetic relatives, the monkeys are used by Banksy as an opportunity to de-humanize the human race or show the more instinctual side. Another of Banksys more common subjects is a rat. He has been using images of rats throughout his entire career. As he continues to stencil these creatures, Banksys rats have begun to take over cities all over the world. In his book, Wall and Piece, Banksy explains why he loves to paint rats: They exist without permission. They live in quiet desperation amongst the filth. And yet they are capable of bringing entire civilizations to their knees. If you are dirty, insignificant, and unloved, then rats are the ultimate role model.

Though often disgusting or filthy looking, Banksys rats are often clothed as humans or are carrying man-made objects, accompanied with a saying, much like the monkeys. Although rats and monkeys are common theme among his work, they are not all Banksy focuses on.

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Although his main tools are an aerosol can and stencil, Banksy has not limited himself; numerous well-known paintings have been redone by the artist. For example, he took Monets Water Lily Pond and adapted it to show an accumulation of urban litter. Furthermore, he has created installations, including a dismantled phone booth and a Stonehenge recreated using porto-potties. Perhaps one of the most publicized of Banksy's works occurred in 2010 when Banksy created an introduction to The Simpsons. Typically, the opening credits of this well-known cartoon are another place for the writers to insert another joke. On occasion, artists are invited to contribute to the credits and in October of 2010, Banksy was one of these artists.

Much of Bankys work is controversial. Not one piece is created without someones feathers being ruffled. The biggest argument is whether it is vandalism or art. Located on the sides of buildings, bridges, and billboards; many would consider it vandalism. However, Banksys graffiti is more than a mere gang tag on the side of a gas station claiming territory and gaining street credibility; he creates his art to provoke and send a message. In fact, whenever his work is painted over, washed off or destroyed, the public is angered. All though a majority of his work is not located in an art gallery, it is considered art and not vandalism by the public. In addition, sometimes the location is controversial. Some of his most controversial pieces were

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done on the Palestinian side of the Segregation Wall. This wall is not an everyday enclosure or barricade, but is a controversial barrier built by the Israeli army to separate their country from Palestine. The Israeli government claim it was built to protect Israel from suicide bombers however; the wall itself is in fact illegal according to the International Court of Justice. This made it a touchy subject for both the Palestine and Israeli parties when Banksy painted nine images on the wall. Each of the images were done on a large scale, reaching to the top of the wall, and are very hard to go unnoticed against the drab grey wall. These nine images reflect Banksys viewpoint about the wall, suggesting that the wall is closing the Palestinian people in and is a prison for them. However, even the Palestinian people didnt like his work. After viewing Banksy complete a mural on the wall, a Palestinian told him, You make the wall look beautiful. We dont want it to be beautiful. We hate the wall. Go home. Furthermore, while painting he was fired upon multiple times by the Israeli army. With all this attention, his artwork received a large amount of media attention. In addition to this, the subject matter stirs up argument and anger and adds to the attention the art receives from the media. From two male policemen kissing to child labor, from someone committing suicide to a crucifix with shopping bags; the subject matter almost always pisses someone off. Location, media, and subject matter are all technical aspects of Banksys work. However, Banksys art goes beyond its superficial

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qualities. His paintings, stencils, and other art pieces frequently address serious social issues. In an untitled image painted in 2004, Banksy conveys his dissatisfaction with the fierce competitiveness of society through the image of one of his rats painting the words Its not a race. Banksy uses one of his signature stencils to condemn a society often viewed as a rat race. Through this image of society, Banksy points out the absurdity of competing in something that is not winnable. He writes in his book, Wall and Piece, You can win the rat race but youre still a rat. The human race is an unfair and stupid competition. Some runners don't even get decent sneakers or clean drinking water. What this race needs is a lot more streakers. Rather than creating the piece for shock value, this piece is a more subtle criticism of human interaction in society. This work more mild than later works by the artist, but still communicates Banksy's contempt for the state of society and the way humans behave.

Clearly, his work addresses issues such as the hierarchies of power and social injustices that are not being dealt with. By challenging the political and social structure of government while still maintaining anonymity, attention is diverted from his identity, which allows people to focus on the art. Had he given away his anonymity, the viewer would be more focused on him. They would want to know if about Banksy and his viewpoints and why he created the art. However, he removes this completely from the picture by remaining Banksy; the observers are

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forced to think solely about the art and not the artist. By doing so, he also removes the opinion of the artist and makes the work more of a statement. Furthermore, the art is not tucked away in a gallery where one can go view it out of pleasure. By being on specific walls or buildings, its thrown into the publics face and they are forced to view it whether they love it or hate it. In addition, by using an aerosol can and stencil as his medium he draws a large amount of attention to his work. The controversy of whether or not its vandalism, the location and media all draw more and more attention to Banksys graffiti. By intentionally choosing very controversially places such as the Palestine Wall, he creates more interest in his work. If he had created it on a canvas, his work would not draw as much attention.

Since appearing on the art scene, Banksy has been catching everyone's attention with his shocking social imagery. Coming far from his modest beginnings, Banksy is now an internationally famous street artist whose works hang in collectors galleries. Love him or hate him, Banksy has received an undeniably large amount of media attention. Banksy achieved this well-deserved attention by viewing the world with a critical eye and putting his art on the streets where viewers are forced to face that criticism. His newfound fame has not stopped Banksy from criticizing society in new and provocative ways. Instead, his criticism of society has grown

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louder as his audience has grown larger. It is controversies like these that have made Banksy into both a household name and a legitimate artist.

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Works Cited About Banksy: The Biography of a Graffiti Street Art Legend. Stencil Revolution. Web <http://www.stencilrevolution.com/profiles/about-banksy/>. Baker, Lindsay. Banksy: Off the Wall. Telegraph.co.uk, 28 Mar. 2008. Web. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/3672135/Banksy-off-the-wall.html/>. Banksy. Web. <http://ww.banksy.co.uk/>. DAddario, John. Banksy New Orleans: Then and Now. Art21 Blog, 12 July 2009 Web. <http://www.blog.art21.org/2009/07/13/banksy-new-orleans-then-and-now/>. Francis, Nick. Banksy in His Own Words. The Sun, 4 Sept. 2010. Web. <http://www.the sun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3124787/Banksy-in-his-ownwords.html>. Sewell, Brian. Banksy Biography. Brian Sewell Art Directory. Web. <http://www.briansewell.com/artist/b-artist/banksy/banksy-biography.html>.