The art of graffiti, in some form, has been around since ancient times. The evolution of this art form, from the simple scratching of images on a wall to the sometimes elaborate painted words and images that permeate primarily urban settings across the globe in the twenty-first century, has been slow. Modern graffiti is recognized as the vandalism of social and urban activists making personal statements and of gang members marking their territories, and their images have moved from subway cars and underground tile walls to the streets of cities around the world. Among the current vandals who arm themselves with spray paint cans and brushes, there is one rather anonymous but quite prolific artist who stands out -- the British street artist known as Banksy.
Banksy offers striking and often quite humorous images that present significant and controversial social commentary; he is clearly anti-establishment and doesn’t hesitate to criticize war, capitalism, and all that he feels is wrong in the world. He is an innovator in the world of street art, or graffiti, who has created an image of himself that he alone controls. He remains anonymous and does not reveal his identity to the public. In addition to this element of control, the public experiences Banksy’s art not by their own choice but, rather, by his. By virtue of the fact that he places his art in public places, on public walls, the passersby cannot avoid it. One does not typically experience it deliberately but very much by accident – perhaps only because of the route traveled to work or play. Through his intentional play on both the visible and invisible he has created an artist’s persona or identity that has given him the freedom and ability to explore both local and global issues. Banksy is the imaginative leader of a new artistic movement. This is art as activism, and the anonymous voice for free speech and equality around the globe.
by Julie Pike, Event Planner
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