Meet Banksy, a street artist who had risen in popularity all around the world for his controversial street art. After twenty years of infamous graffiti tagging world-wide issues such as, war, politics, and strong statements in our society today, his identity still remains unknown. Banksy’s graffiti lifestyle mimics the works of Blek le Rat, he was very active in the graffiti scene back in the early 1990s. His artwork consisted of satirical dark humor, while addressing worldly issues, philosophy, and meaningful art.
One of Banksy’s most famous street paintings is one called “Mobile Lovers.” The painting consists of two people-a couple-affectionately holding one another, while staring at the glowing screen of their phones. This depicts an important message towards society, that we are more in depth with our attention towards technology than with each other.
Another one of his famous works is named “Slave Labour.” A mural showing a young child sewing a bunting of Union Jack patches. Banksy had created this to protest against child labour in sweatshops. The piece of art was sold in an auction at Covent Garden, London for 1.2 million dollars (USD).
One of Banksy’s recent murals made in 2015 “The Son of a Migrant from Syria”, located in Calais, France, depicted Apple co-founder and CEO, Steve Jobs, as a son of a Syrian migrant to the U.S., as a travel migrant. The location of the mural was near where many migrants lived in a temporary camp. In a rare public statement Banksy stated: “We’re often led to believe migration is a drain on the country’s resources, but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian migrant. Apple is the world’s most profitable company, it pays over $7bn a year in taxes – and it only exists because they allowed in a young man from Homs.”
Banksy’s works have raised a lot of controversial questions and caused the public to admire his work. From creating many murals bringing up world-wide questions about society and war, to creating his own bemusement park named “Dismaland”. The anonymous street artist has done so much but has a longer ways to go.
