Art has always been a form of expression in every society; it is a vehicle for emotion, activism and provocation. It has taken its form in theatres, concert halls and galleries; popular art has always been presented on the stage or in the picture frame. People have always flocked to these places to find what is possible to be done with a canvas and paints, but since the 1970’s an art form has been developed where you will see art covering the ugly concrete of huge metropolis’, you will see it flash past in a multi coloured blur or simply brighten the dreariest playground. Graffiti was pioneered in New York City and left a trail across the globe and has given many the opportunity to reassess what ‘art’ can be and how it can be used.

Since its origins graffiti has evolved into many styles, one is the technique of using homemade stencils then using paints to print the image onto an object. This creates a distinctive crisp image and it offers scope for imaginative images that are not just lettering. A major advocate of this is the graffiti artist known only as ‘Banksy’. He is known to originate from Bristol but he has become renowned for his work in cities across the globe. His work is often satirical, humorous and uncompromisingly brutal towards its subjects. His work sometimes has a political focus and more often it shows a cynical view of our modern society.

One aspect that separates Banksy from other well-known stencil artists such as Blek is that his work operates outside of the realms of the city streets. He has forcibly moved into galleries, museums and other public places. He has embarked on a mission where the countries most respectable and renowned sites are targeted. His pranks are a frequent filler of newspapers columns and much to the annoyance of the media and the authorities his identity has remained concealed. His stunts have included hanging oil paintings (with stencilling over the top) in galleries such as the Tate and the Museum of Modern Art, with the gallery security unaware of its presence. He has also broken into an elephant enclosure at London Zoo and scrawled, from the elephants perspective “I want out. This place is too cold. Keeper smells. Boring, boring, boring…”

Banksy’s work will continue to inspire and annoy in equal doses for as long as his guerrilla art-warfare continues. In my opinion I think it adds much needed humour of the intimidating and vast world of art. Perhaps these pranks can provide an accessible route for those who stand on the fringes of this cultural feature. Despite the praise for Banksy it is still difficult to answer this question: is he an artist or a vandal?

Tom Hopkin

© 1997-2006 Freeway
Writers: Tom Hopkin
HTML by: David Broad .