Around 150 examples of works by Bansky, the provocative graffiti artist, painter, activist and filmmaker who uses satire to highlight the absurdities of the world while making strong political and social statements, can be seen at a show now hanging in Guadalajara’s Plaza Patria.
Amazingly, the British artist has catapulted to world fame while managing to remain anonymous, adding a shroud of mystery to his subversive art.
Starting as an underground street sprayer in the English city of Bristol, Banksy then began placing his work illicitly in galleries around the world (even in La Louvre). He has since created paintings, installations, sculptures and films, holding his own exhibits, while continuing the “banditry” of his street art, which is usually done using his distinctive stenciling technique.
So profoundly has Banksy’s fame grown—he was included in Time’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2010—that his work now commands mind-boggling prices at auction houses on both sides of the Atlantic. However, because he rarely “owns” or sells his work, others mostly get to keep the profits. Reports suggest a lot of what he does earn—channelled through the website Pest Control—is donated to charities and causes.
he Guadalajara show—called The Art of Banksy “Without Limits”—is one of several similar exhibits showcasing the artist’s work currently touring the globe. All feature limited edition prints, reproductions, sculptures, photographs, videos and installations, many of them reportedly borrowed from private collections around the world.
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