In an age where most artists yearn for publicity of any sort, Banksy canvas art manages to draw attention without asking for it. The very nature of the medium of work, subjects involved, and the elusiveness of the artist himself have made this art form a controversial subject.
Satire on society
Banksy canvas art chooses subjects which are drawn from real life and society as a whole. Almost all of his works are a satirical take on society, its politics, corruption, hypocrisy etc. Banksy uses different things and people as the subjects of his works. His subjects are broad-ranging from animals like rats, monkeys to people like older children etc. This is one of the aspects, which make Banksy canvas art so much more appealing. His subjects are not some lady or man of the Edwardian era or an elite lady belonging to aristocracy. Instead, his subjects are the ordinary people who make more of a difference to society than the people from the upper strata.
Special messages
Almost every Banksy canvas art has a special message conveyed in it. Whether it is about the take on the class divide in London, politics, corruption, war, capitalism, freedom, curb on art or any other controversial subject, Banksy makes it the centre of his works. It is not as though Banksy is trying to court controversy. It is just that the subjects of his works are controversial and most of society does not like them because of the hidden sarcasm in them. One of the very first paintings Banksy did was called ‘walls on fire’ and it created an uproar and admiration at the same time. Banksy has a steady fan following and those who support his work find nothing wrong of the way he depicts society in his paintings. However, his works often offend people who cannot take the satire of Banksy canvas art.
Not going by rules
Most artists spend a good amount of time during their career trying to be in the limelight, giving interviews and chasing the media. However, Banksy is not one of these artists. He has his own unique style, which every Banksy canvas art exudes. Banksy believes in letting his paintings do the talking, which is why he prefers to remain reclusive and rather elusive. No Londoner can actually claim to have seen Banksy making a painting. He can strike anytime, anywhere and that is part of the charm, which goes into an authentic Banksy canvas art work. Londoners are often surprised to find a blank wall one day and a beautiful brilliant poster work done on it the very next day. How he works and where he designs, no one knows. The mystery of a Banksy canvas art is one of the aspects, which make it so very popular with people.
Street art
Banksy canvas art is often classified into the Graffiti category. However, his works are not just regular slogans and sticks, reminiscent of conventional graffiti. Instead, Banksy delivers socially relevant messages with a powerful concept in them. He also makes sure his street art is bold, attractive and shows the hidden irony behind the painting’s message. It comes as no surprise then that people who like Banksy canvas art refer to it as street art, stencil graffiti, sticker art or even graffiti artwork.
By: Luke Wildman
Posts Tagged ‘Banksy’
Everything you Wanted to Know about Banksy Canvas Art and the Artist
December 18th, 2009Banksy has carved a unique niche for himself in the realm of art. His work is so witty, sarcastic, brilliant and bold that banksy canvas art has been officially categorised as Graffiti art.
About the artist
It is believed that Banksy began his career as a graffiti artist way back during the 1980s. Since then, there has been no looking back for this highly talented artist. All of his works are extremely amusing and it is almost as though he exudes his own personality via his works. Banksy canvas art is symbolic of society as a whole, its politics and corruption, hypocrisy, culture as well as ethical aspects. Therefore, he plays the part of making paintings to show the satirical side of society. His main method of art is through usage of stencils. His quality of stencil work is so superb and of such high quality that all of his paintings are revered throughout the world. It is almost as though he took up painting as a career to create art. Unlike so many other artists who are always looking for an interview or publicity, Banksy lets his paintings do all the talking. He does not have exhibitions in galleries or sell any of his graffiti works.
His foray into art
The works of several noted local artists such as Tes and Kato heavily influenced Banksy. These influences can be seen even today in some of the Banksy canvas art. The underground movement in Bristol was almost like a mini-revolution of sorts. Banksy interned under the tutelage of noted artists like Tes and Kato. It was between 1992 and 1994 that he drew freehand and trained under these artists. Subsequently, Banksy made huge graffiti works on the walls of London, just alongside works from Inkie. Incidentally, Inkie was a highly reputed graffiti artist and was considered a legend of sorts. Several noted that Banksy canvas art works include that of ‘walls on fire’, which was followed by a long event during the weekend, that celebrated the genius of Banksy and other local artists across Ohio and UK.
Stencil techniques
One of the most prominent features about any Banksy canvas art is that stencil techniques have been used. Using stencils expedited his works and this was what made Banksy choose this mode of drawing. However, the stencil techniques used by him are unique compared to other artists. The combination of funny images and striking slogans make any Banksy canvas art truly unique and attractive.
No boundaries
When it comes to being different and showing true versatility as an artist, Banksy has outshined all his contemporaries. Every piece of Banksy canvas art is reminiscent of unique, challenging artwork. He has even used animals as his media for his paintings. His usage of bold colours, attractive slogans and bright imagery has transformed his works into revolutionary pieces. In short, when it comes to groundbreaking art, spectacular images and powerful messages as well as reflection of social life, Banksy canvas art outshines other art forms.
By: Luke Wildman
The Increasing Vandalism of Banksy Canvas Art
December 3rd, 2009One can never put a price on an authentic Banksy canvas art form. Yet it seems that an increasing number of online auction sites are capitalising on this opportunity to make huge sales online. The main reason for this is due to the increasing vandalism of his works.
Destroying partially and fully
Banksy canvas art has always been categorised within the Graffiti Art segment. However, this is a tag put forth by persons who dislike his work. These could be anyone from his peers, who do not like the media attention showered on Banksy’s works or anyone from society, who dislikes the messages in his paintings. Many times, a Banksy canvas art piece has been partially destroyed with roller paint. At other times, the entire piece has been chipped off or damaged completely. Thus, in such cases, the work is irretrievably damaged. No rectification work can revive this painting. Given the fact that an increasing number of such paintings are being destroyed these days, Banksy canvas art is becoming more of a rarity.
A rare piece
In recent times, unscrupulous individuals have destroyed many pieces of Banksy canvas art. Often, the painting is destroyed within a few days of the work painted. This has resulted in many opportunistic people who post pictures of his works online on popular auction sites just to get money from the sale. Since Banksy canvas art is becoming such a rarity, it is natural that admirers of his artwork are lapping up any last pieces of a destroyed work. There have been many times, when the price of a destroyed Banksy painting was close to 150000 to 200000 pounds! Celebrities of the likes of Christina Aguilera have purchased several of his paintings. It is almost as though having a Banksy canvas art painting in your home is like a status symbol.
Pieces destroyed
In recent times, some of the prominent Banksy canvas art paintings destroyed include the ‘little diver’, ‘chalk farm maid’ and the ‘mild mild west’ painting. These three paintings have received some of the highest amounts of praise from people across the world. In the case of ‘little diver,’ the painting was destroyed when the protective acrylic glass was damaged. The painting was estimated to be over 400000 pounds in worth, The Banksy canvas art painting called ‘chalk farm maid’ was destroyed using whitewash. People speculate that rival graffiti artists destroyed his work. In fact, the destroyed piece even had a message written in red, which read ‘all the best – vida’. The ‘mild mild west’ painting was destroyed because of splattering red paint all over the work.
Sad but true
It is a fact that individuals are destroying many a Banksy canvas art consistently across London. However, what is sad is that these paintings are not just graffiti. These represent society with a powerful message hidden in them. What is sadder is the fact that instead of replacing the painting with another beautiful image, all that is left is a coat of red paint or whitewash. This is what has appalled the people of London tremendously.
By: Luke Wildman
