Graffiti

Banksy is a work that is phenomenal and often become controversial because some people think Banksy is a vandalism. But precisely because the banksy graffiti become much loved and favored by many circles as the image conveyed an important message or a criticism, such criticism usually associated with social, political, economic, and governance. The purpose of this is to give warning of the policies that are considered wrong or detrimental to the people.

Banksy is a well-known English graffiti artist, possibly named Robert Banks. His artworks are often satirical pieces of art which encompass topics from politics, culture, and ethics. His street art, which combines graffiti with a distinctive stenciling technique, has appeared in London and in cities around the world.

Possibly born in Bristol in 1974, Banksy began as a freehand artist before switching to stenciling around the year 2000; his anti-war, anti-establishment and pro-freedom graffiti images began springing up on city walls in the late 1990′s. Although he has given numerous interviews and even published several books, Banksy’s true identity remains unknown.

As written in DailyMail in March ‘08 Banksy pulled off an audacious stunt to produce what is believed to be his biggest work yet in central London. The work, above a Post Office yard in Newman Street near Oxford Circus, shows a small boy, watched by a security guard, painting the words: ‘One nation under CCTV.’

Andrew Newman, 35, a businessman from Dulwich, who works locally, said: ‘It was only on Sunday morning that the Post Offices guys realised what had happened.’

Under British Law this is considered to be vandalism. However isn’t that the whole point of his art? Blurring the edges of what society thinks of art /vandalism, right / wrong, acceptable / unacceptable? Would we think about those issues if it was just a piece of Art on a wall in a gallery somewhere?