HUM 420-0 1

Contemporary Art
2.5 INFLUENTIAL CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS:
PROJECT 2

BANKSY
DOMINIC MESTAYER 2020-11-07
Banksy is a well-known graffiti artists, political activist, director, and comedian;
2
Whose dark satirical and sometimes political messages have captivated the world.

I use the phrase “well-known” loosely as Banksy is anonymous and no one knows his true identity.

Banksy is believed to be from Bristol, England. And started off his career as a graffiti artist with a
Message.
Banksy is said to be worth over 20 million dollars a year in sales and royalties. Though he
3
Is very much anonymous, he runs all his artwork through an agency he owns that is called

Pest control. Oddly enough, though his work sells for high dollars, he prefers the money made from

Selling his art go to charities. He encourages people to NOT buy his artwork. He may have proved his

Point when one day a painting of his called “Girl with Red Balloon” was sold for 1 million dollars

Suddenly was sucked through a paper shredder that the artist had cleverly hidden in its frame!
 4
Banksy has developed a style that is immediately identifiable through his use of

Stencils, along with the subject matter usually being about a political statement that he is trying to

Bring attention to. He has a reccurring cast that keep on popping up in his artwork (ie. Rats, Police,

Money, Monkeys,) while also trying to convey many of the same messages (ie. Anti-War, Pro-Art, Anti-
Terrorism, Anti-Consumerism)
 5
Banksy’s impromptu art expose’s and graffiti have popped up all over the globe. The

Artist is also known to illegally hang his artwork in prestigious museums around the world.

He has also protested through his graffiti on world political issues such as Palestine and anti-government

Policies. He is also well known for desecrating the image of the Queen of England and bastardizing

Parliment by portraying them as monkeys.

 6
Banksy categorizes his art as Street Art, though it is definitely considered in the Pop Art

Genre. The Smithsonian Magazine did an article on Banksy and Time Magazine listed him as one

Of the most influential people of 2010. He shared the company of Barak Obama and Lady Gaga

On the Time’s list. He has even made film about art that was nominated for an Academy Award.
 7

Title: Flower Bomber

Artist: Banksy
Dimensions: Varies from piece to piece (He reproduces them often)
Medium: Varies from piece to piece
Location: Varies from piece to piece
 8
Title: Napalm
Artist: Banksy
Medium: Varies
Dimension: Varies
 9

Title: Kill Your Television

Artist: Banksy
Medium: Varied
Dimension: Varied
 10

Sources:
Artsy:Banksy
https://www.artsy.net/artist/banksy

Dailymail.co.uk
How Does Banksy Earn his Money?
Author: Joseph Laws Oct 6, 2018
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6247943/How-DOES-Banksy-earn-money-
Secretive-artist-thought-make-millions-year.html

Smithsonianmag.com
The Story Behind Banksy
Author: Will Ellisworth-Jones Feb 2013
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-story-behind-banksy-4310304/