Photo by TEFennell4 on http://chicagoist.com/2010/05/10/banksy_in_chicago.php#photo-6
This guy found himself on the list of the world's 100 most influential people in 2010
Time magazine. I guess you could say he was in good company among Steve Jobs, Bill Clinton, Serena Williams, Barack Obama, and Oprah Winfrey.
He's a British graffiti artist who has bombed cities all around the world. We haven't seen his work in Chicago since 2010, but we want him back!
But he doesn't just decorate deteriorating walls. Banksy is also a film director, a political activist, and a painter.
From B.Easy on http://www.jugrnaut.com/blog/banksy-x-chicago/
We don't know a lot about him. It's believed that he was born in Bristol, England around '74.
He started his career as a graffiti artist in the early 90's with 'DryBreadZ Crew', a gang in Bristol. When Banksy started his work, it was mostly freehand, with stencils on occasion. Within 10 years, he changed up his style to regularly using stencils.
Banksy's style is is composed of unfamiliar and striking images often mixed with words or slogans. Around the world he has been known to combine his political activism with his street art. His designs include war critique, capitalism, and greed. Some common objects and images that signify it's a Banksy are rats, policemen, children, and apes.
Photo by Will Rice onhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/ricephoto/4606561135/
He may not be a Chicago native, but his work here has influenced numerous other artists.
Banksy has been M.I.A. for over a year, but there are rumors that he's about to strike again- sometime next month actually! The buzz says that he might hit L.A. for his rebirth, but we will just have to wait and see
His website:
http://www.banksy.co.uk
Largest following of Banksy fan's Tumblr page:
http://banksystreetart.tumblr.com
All of the photos included in this post are taken from spots in Chicago. The two without locations listed are definitely Banksy's as they once were included, therefore confirmed, on his website.
