Banksy

quex

You may have seen his art or read about him, but have you read Banksy's own work? He's almost anarchist, but quite clever about it.

http://www.banksy.co.uk/ is a good place to start, but for a great read, I'd suggest looking up his books on Amazon.com or at your local library. (If you're a student at a university using interlibrary loan, chances are you'll have access to all the books.)

Anyone read him already?

quex

What, nobody? ;_;

Maybe this'll help...?

http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Piece-Banksy/dp/1844137872/sr=8-5/qid=1167712324/ref=pd_bbs_5/105-9393752-4913260?ie=UTF8&s=books

He's updating his best anthology, due for sale on June 26th.

Jayfarer

I like Banksy's work. I don't know much about the graffiti culture, but I like this stenciled stuff more than the regular style. I have no problem with graffiti as long as if it looks nice. There's something cool about spreading art at every available surface, though I understand why some people wouldn't want it on their property.

quex

I agree! Stenciling has a lot of advantages, both to the artist and the viewer; the images can be made recognizable at smaller scales, which means they don't become too invasive (and subsequently avoid first-priority removal), so the audience can enjoy them for longer. For the artist, stencil work provides the fastest and cleanest method of posting outside of sticker strikes, as well as serial advantages. Clean art in a few seconds with plenty of time for a getaway, and you can make the same pieces multiple times.

I love to observe the culture of street art. When you get past the kids scrawling their names on trains for a thrill, there really are some incredible stories and beautiful work in the mix. Tristan Manco has a few books collecting the best of the best, as well as some of the movements that have spontaneously arisen in the past few decades.

http://www.amazon.com/Stencil-Graffiti-Street-Graphics-Art/dp/0500283427/sr=8-2/qid=1167803973/ref=sr_1_2/105-9393752-4913260?ie=UTF8&s=books