Case Study: Banksy

l Banks started anonymously covering the walls ,or commonly referred to as “bombing the walls” of Bristol, London around 1974 with his empowering street art. As an artist he started with free hand graffiti and now uses enticing stencil pieces to create his art. Throughout most of his life his famous identity was yet to be known. Through high demand In desire to put a name to the artistic works of striking political and social commentary the Investigations began.

As this search started he has been giggly Investigated In correlation to the Individual Robin Cunningham who began to arise of high Interest as further information was being matched with his life perfectly to the now details of Banks life. ‘ His career as an artist began in the early sass in a graffiti gang the “Daydream Crew’ that covered the walls of Bristol and London.

This group consisted of other well known street artist under the names of Nice Walker, Inkle and AD, it was at this time where he met a local photographer that began selling Banks work and later become his highly distinguished agent.

HIS work consisted of freehand designs and n occasion he experimented with stencils. A few years Into working as an artist he became more dependent on stencils as they reduce his working time and the chance of being caught by police. In his book “Wall and Piece” Banks recounts a experience where he was painting late at night on the side of a passenger train when British Police arrived his friends made it to a car and left the scene. He unfortunately didn’t and spent more than an hour hiding under a dumper truck having engine all leak all over him.

Banks said his interest and experimentation with stencils arose from this experience, he recalls that as he was hiding listening to the cops on the tracks, he realized that in order to continue successfully he had to quicken his painting time or give it up all together.

He was looking straight up at the stencil plate underneath the bottom of the fuel tank when he made the discovery that he could imitate that style and make stencils In preparation to going out to his locations.! As Investigations continual Inquires Into Roding Sunglasses Tie demonstrated evident connections to Banks.

In 1998 Robin was living in Gaston in Bristol with a man named Luke Egan. When approach Egan initially denied knowing him, but stated he knew a man named Robin Cunningham but denied living with Banks. He said “Well, he wasn’t then, I lived with him ages ago.

I don’t think Banks was around anyway’ The now famous Mild Mild West sign on a wall opposite to Subway Records in Gaston was done by Banks in 1999. The founder of Subway Records states knowing Banks and told of how he shared a house in East Compton a couple of streets away.

This supports the claims of Banks Identity by supporting the allegation of him sharing a house with Luke Egan. ! After spending six months in London, Banks returned to Bristol in 2000 for his first exhibition. This was held at the Surrendered Restaurant. This proved a major success he was sold out on the opening night.

The curator of the exhibition was interviewed and said he had little knowledge in exhibiting and had no idea how to stretch canvas or prepare the work so was taught by Robert Biers himself. Banks made the move to London similarly to the time Robin Cunningham did.

Robin lived with a man named Jamie Eastman who worked for a record label in Bristol. Coincidentally Banks drew arioso albums covers for the same company.! His first UN-official exhibition was on the walls of a tunnel in Riving that had been white washed and of that he had spray painted 12 works on to. It was only until his next exhibition though that Banks was first recognized and acknowledged.

In 2003 he held a show titled “Turf War” in a warehouse, by chance only yards away from Robins flat of the time. This show was the ultimate start of his fame and recognition.!

Many pieces in this work challenged the idea of art being appropriate as he show cased comedic like images such as the Queen of England depicted as a chimp. These works drew outstanding attention and since then he has sold works to celebrities such as Christina Agiler and Angelina Joliet. His works have also started appearing in movies such as Shoot ‘Me up and he sold his artwork to Blur for one of their album covers. For someone at ten time so anonymous née Ana extreme putridly Ana intensive interest and demand.

! Was AT Robins father, Peter was a retired man a former contracts manager from Bristol.

His mother, Pamela was a company directors secretary and grew up in Clifton. They married in April of 1970 and had their first child, Sarah in 1972. On July 28, 1973, Robin was born. He moved to a larger family home when he was 9 years old on the same street of their previous.

It was here his interest in graffiti ignited. Robin attended the highly renowned Bristol Cathedral School, many fellow pupils who recall remembering Robin say he was respected as a highly gifted artist. A fellow class member said in an interview “He was one on the three people in my year who were extremely talented at art.

He did lots of illustrations. I am not surprised if he is Banks’. In the limited and rare interviews Banks has agreed to he always acknowledged that it was the time during his schooling that he initially became immersed in graffiti world.

! Through observation it is eminent that Banks style is of notable similarity to Bleak lee Rat, who started stencil works in the early sass in Paris. Despite this, Banks has self acclaimed the he was inspired by a graffiti artist tagging under the name of “AD” who further on became a member of Massive Attack.!

Banks signature style developed from his many years in experimentation. His images produce a striking response as they often address major controversial issues ND discussion generally relating to either anti-war, anti-capitalism or anti- establishments areas. This involves the symbolic motifs often recurring in his works of rats, apes, authoritative figures, soldiers, children and the elderly.! In 2009 Banks split company with agent, Steve Laziness and announced that Pest Control, his handling service would be his only mean of sale from then on.

On 13th of June 2009 The Banks Vs..

Bristol opened exhibition at the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. This collection featured over 100 of his works including his own installations and is yet his largest exhibition. The show had over 8,500 visitors over the first weekend it opened and was visited by 300,000 ! Banks TLS Tell “Exit I Norton ten Gist snoop” was melanoma Tort a 2010 Oscar Tort Best Documentary Feature. The world premiere of the film was at the Sun dance Film Festival in Park City.

Banks generated 10 artworks for the documentary around Park city and Salt Lake city to relate to the screening.!

Upon moving to New York the new location and surroundings intrigued him and started a new inspiration where he pledged to create one piece of art for ever day he was there. It was during this month of his residency that he sold his works on the streets for $60 an item. This is a major reduced price for what the market value for his art is worth.! His work consist of extremely emotion provoking images and occasional slogans to accompany the work. As well as being renowned for majority of his street art he is also recognized for his installations.

His most striking being a live elephant he included in his largest exhibition that was covered in a Victorian era styled wall paper patter. Banks boldness to touchy and uneasy themes are what create there overwhelming response and give them so much power. Through the attention and publicity of his art, he has transformed the act of vandalism into highly protected and acknowledged prestigious art pieces. This is referred to by many critics and Journalist as “the Banks effect”.! These commentaries are high influential of the time in which Banks is working.

From the early sass through to today’s current situation the most common word events are views consist of controversial politics and ethics.

The mid 20th century is distinguished most of human history in its significance to direct aspects of change. Over the 20th century the worlds per capita gross domestic product grew 500%. This is due to the enormous magnitude of growth in population introducing new issues such as poverty, homelessness, wealth, controversial power in politics, technological developments, droughts, diseases and healthy and many other arising issues from the growing world of politics, culture and ethics. Banks displays a lot of anti-war stencils which convey a highly impacting response. One particular event that Banks worked name “The Flower Checker” was a response in reference to the start of a revolution in Romania.

President Causes at the time was infamous across the world. He had been running the country for many years. On December the 21st of 1989 he addressed Bucharest in response to a an uprising in a small near Day western clay Amongst ten crowd was one man called Inca Leon one AT the many people who were fed up with Accused and the awful outcomes he created for people and started to chant and shout in the crowd.

The crowd obediently supported Inca and began a to chant the words “Down with Causes”. Banners were dropped, women began to scream, security began to approach the leader and this was the start of the revolution.

Within a week President Causes was dead. This inspired many stencils along with many other political comments relating specifically and directly to one particular event. ! World ethical issues that have arisen in the last 20 years have been a major focus to Banks. One of these being gay marriage, lately in the last 10 year legalizing gay marriage has been a highly controversial event occurring around the world.

Majority of polls since 2010 show that an incur easing amount of supporters are supporting the legalization of gay marriage, compare this to twenty years ago the figure would be dramatically different. Never the less the issue is highly debated within political and religious groups and members of authority who have the ultimate power to endure any change to the existing law.

Before 2009 48% of polls supported this act and in just 5 years it has increased to 63% yet no change has been initiated.

Banks is evidently influenced by this along with other world events and influences, which can be seen in many of his later stencils.! The history of capitalism can be traced back to its origin in western Europe during the middle ages, how ever it is the 20th century that major challenges towards capitalism are seen. The collapse of the soviet Block in 1991 dramatically reduced the influential power of communism as an economic system. Many socialist movements have continued to hold influential power over areas of the world such as Latin America.

Banks resents the ideology of authority and power, “some people represent authority without ever possessing any of their own”.

! Banks was clearly not a fan of political matters seen through his written messages such as “if you tell a lie enough ,eventually it becomes the truth” where he has crossed out the word truth and replaced it with politics, harshly emphasizing the introversion essence of politicians throughout the last few decades, who claim their authority and power through empty promises, lies and manipulation.

Banks trust the more simple matters such as the mind of youths and elderly seen through his repetition In center Taluses nagging or In demanding statements. ! ten same a or w n ten most attention The Global finical crisis of 2007- 2008 introduced further issues as it was considered to be the worst financial crisis since the great depression. Unfortunately this led to the increase in homelessness, poverty and unemployment. Investment Bank UBS stated that “2008 would see a clear global recession with recovery unlikely for at least two years”.

Banks voices the brutally truth and displays the raw and moving illustrations of people less fortunate and mostly effected by global movements such as this, one of the most powerful and clever statements Banks has made about issues like this is a homeless character holding a sign that has “keep your coins we want change”.

Banks stated himself in his documentary “this plan is to live here, react to things, see the sights – and paint them”.!

Banks work is seen by a small proportion of people as completely vandalism and fail to appreciate the artistic extent or social commentary behind the work and rather are completely emerged by the unlawful actions that he manages to escape without penalty. Banks had a large dislike for the cops and police authority that cause to be a large contributing factor to the difficulty in producing his art. This is seen through the repetition of motifs such as officers in uniform and the way he would talk about the policemen and other high authoritative roles.

Many times Banks would run into he cops and reply with witty or childish like responses emphasizing his negative approach and view towards power and being told what to do. “The greatest crime in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules but by people following the rules.

Its people that follow the rules that drop bombs and massacre villages”! 1 . “The Flower snicker” 2. “Stick ‘Erne UP” 3. “The Maid” Banks “The Flower Checker” created in 2003 is one of his most recognized and symbolic pieces.

It features as the cover of his auto biography “Wall and Piece” and the stencil has been replicated numerous times.

It is a stencil painting of a man wearing a kerchief and and a baseball cap throwing a bouquet of players and stand three stories high. The figure and the covering of the flowers are done in black and white, where as the flowers themselves are done in true natural warm floral colors. The man is positioned to show the strength and force behind his action. The aggressiveness of his body language supports a powerful action or movement.

It is created through using a simple one tone stencil.

He has purposely chosen for symbolic reason to only use color on the flowers in the stencil.! The contrast between the black and the color draw an emphasis and create a focal point to the flowers. The stencil gives the illusion of depth through the use of tone where light and dark areas are highlighted through the use of color being black and white to indicate tonal value. Through the use of line as a stencil, Banks was effectively able to produce a realistic and life like interpretation of the design.!

The image is a representation of the riots and revolutions, the chaos and emotion Banks had personally witnessed on the streets.

The anger, frustration and power an be seen through the mans posture. He is bombing an establishment with flowers. This can be read as a symbolic representation of hope and faith in finding a peaceful resolution to whatever conflicts are begin rioted. It represents the tensions and clash between innocence, faith and peace with war, riots and violence and they importance and impact that once has on the other.

Typically someone in this position with such attire and physical appearance is expected to be throwing a item of more threat such as a grenade, rock or item of intentionally harm.

This is completely interdicted and gives a sense or irony as he is throwing an its of almost opposite qualities, a bouquet of flowers which is viewed on many different symbolic levels associated with love and compassion.! The Museum of Contemporary art in Los Angles distributed a comprehension survey in response to street art and graffiti. The result was a the birth of the high profile phenomenon that as has become “The Banks Effect” .

This refers to the outstanding success that he created by introducing urban, outsider and lowly appreciated art into the light of highly profitable, mainstream and richly appreciated artworks. It is lassie by some as a new type of Pop Art, other see it Just as street, urban or graffiti art and other see him Just as a political and social activist having more power behind the messages than the art itself. Banks is regarded as the official leader and pioneer of the street art movement wide is associated in the wider community of the contemporary art movement.

As he has introduced and created a whole market dedicated to his art style, it is now being more generally accepted and recognized on the same level as other art styles. Arguable his art is the most perfect example of post modernism as they hold satirical style approach.! Issues raised concerning Banks work are a minority in comparison to the support of this art. In Bethlehem two of Banks works were removed by the people of the town where he had stencil as they did not understand the meaning and found it offensive when there was no initial offence intended.

Other works in the same town such as “The Flower Checker” are high appreciated and loved within the community. This is an exert out of article where a traveler was shown all the artworks of Banks throughout Bethlehem by a local.

! It showed a masked Palestinian hurling a colorful bouquet of flowers. Aimed said coals had agitated to keep the one wall intact because this image is the best-loved Banks stencil in Bethlehem. It reminded locals of a bronze angel on a church nearby, he said, at Shepherd’s Field.