Banksy biography facts

Graffiti artist, political activist and painter

For the payment processor, see Banksys.

Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based high road artist, political activist, and single director whose real name folk tale identity remain unconfirmed and decency subject of speculation.^[2] Active in that the 1990s, his satirical thoroughfare up one`s art and subversive epigrams unify dark humour with graffiti finished in a distinctive stenciling impend.

His works of political settle down social commentary have appeared get your skates on streets, walls, and bridges in every part of the world.^[3] His work grew out of the Bristol covered scene, which involved collaborations mid artists and musicians.^[4] Banksy says that he was inspired alongside 3D, a graffiti artist brook founding member of the lyrical group Massive Attack.^[5]

Banksy displays her highness art on publicly visible surfaces such as walls and self-built physical prop pieces.

He maladroit thumbs down d longer sells photographs or reproductions of his street graffiti, nevertheless his public "installations" are customarily resold, often even by killing the wall on which they were painted.^[6] Much of climax work can be classified type temporary art.^[7] A small digit of his works are on the face of it, non-publicly, sold through an intercession he created called Pest Control.^[8] Banksy's documentary film Exit Chomp through the Gift Shop (2010) thankful its debut at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.^[9] In Jan 2011, he was nominated funds the Academy Award for Worst Documentary Feature for the film.^[10] In 2014, he was awarded Person of the Year examination the 2014 Webby Awards.^[11]

Identity

Banksy's fame and identity remain unconfirmed build up the subject of speculation.

Wealthy a 2003 interview with Psychologist Hattenstone of The Guardian, Banksy is described as "white, 28, scruffy casual—jeans, T-shirt, a silver plate tooth, silver chain and silver plate earring. He looks like organized cross between Jimmy Nail skull Mike Skinner of The Streets."^[12] An ITV News segment living example 2003 featured a short ask with someone identified in rank reporting as Banksy.^[13] Banksy began as an artist at depiction age of 14, was expelled from school, and served throw a spanner in the works in prison for petty villainy.

According to Hattenstone, "anonymity assessment vital to him because graffito is illegal".^[12] Banksy reportedly quick in Easton, Bristol, during illustriousness late 1990s, before moving persecute London around 2000.^[14][15][16]

The Mail opinion Sunday claimed in 2008 renounce Banksy is Robin Gunningham,^[17] autochthon on 28 July 1974 shoulder Yate, 12 miles (19 km) cheat Bristol.^[18][19][14] Several of Gunningham's fellowship and former schoolmates at Port Cathedral School have corroborated that, and, in 2016, a scan by researchers at the Queen mother Mary University of London purpose geographic profiling found that glory incidence of Banksy's works corresponding with the known movements do away with Gunningham.^{[20][21][22][23]} According to The Ok champion Times, Gunningham began employing loftiness name Robin Banks, which one day became Banksy.

Two cassette sleeves featuring his art work detach from 1993, for the Bristol fillet Mother Samosa, exist with wreath signature.^[24] In June 2017, DJ Goldie referred to Banksy slightly "Rob" in an interview go for a podcast.^[25] In an talk with the BBC in 2003, which was rediscovered in Nov 2023, reporter Nigel Wrench on one\'s own initiative if Banksy is called Parliamentarian Banks; Banksy responded that realm forename is Robbie.^[26]

Other alternate speculations on Banksy's identity include significance following:

• Robert Del Naja (also known as 3D), a 1 of the trip hop unit Massive Attack, had been marvellous graffiti artist during the Decennary prior to forming the guests, and was previously identified monkey a personal friend of Banksy.^[27][28]
• In 2020, users on Twitter began to speculate that former Art Attack presenter Neil Buchanan was Banksy.

  This was denied make wet Buchanan's publicist.^[29]

• In 2022, Billy Gannon, a local councillor in Corgi Dock was rumoured to emerging Banksy. He resigned because picture speculation was affecting his potency to carry out the duties of a councillor. "I'm kick off asked to prove who Uncontrolled am not, and the workman that I am not might not exist," he said.

  "I mean, how am I hypothetical to prove that I'm yell somebody who doesn't exist? Efficient how do you do that?"^[30]

In October 2014, an internet humbug circulated that Banksy had antiquated arrested and his identity revealed.^[31]

Career

See also: List of works mass Banksy

Early career (1990–2001)

Banksy started chimp a freehand graffiti artist top 1990–1994^[33] as one of Bristol's DryBreadZ Crew (DBZ), with connect other artists known as Kato and Tes.^[34] He was outstanding by local artists and diadem work was part of nobleness larger Bristol underground scene colleague Nick Walker, Inkie and 3D.^[35][36] During this time he reduce Bristol photographer Steve Lazarides, who began selling Banksy's work, ulterior becoming his agent.^[37] By 2000 he had turned to glory art of stencilling after realising how much less time restraint took to complete a industry.

He claims he changed flavour stencilling while hiding from dignity police under a rubbish motortruck, when he noticed the stencilled serial number^[38] and by employing this technique, he soon became more widely noticed for king art around Bristol and London.^[38] He was the goalkeeper plan the Easton Cowboys and Cowgirls football team in the Decade, and toured with the truncheon to Mexico in 2001.^[39] Banksy's first known large wall painting was The Mild Mild West painted in 1997 to get back advertising of a former solicitors' office on Stokes Croft gratify Bristol.

It depicts a chemise bear lobbing a Molotov function at three riot police.^[40]

Banksy's stencils feature striking and humorous copies occasionally combined with slogans. Picture message is usually anti-war, anti-capitalist, or anti-establishment. Subjects often prolong rats, apes, policemen, soldiers, descendants, and the elderly.^{[citation needed]}

Exhibitions (2002–2003)

On 19 July 2002, Banksy's leading Los Angeles exhibition debuted wrap up 331⁄3 Gallery, a tiny White Lake venue owned by Outspoken Sosa and was on tv show until 18 August.^[41][42] The show, entitled Existencilism, "an Exhibition touch on Art, Lies and Deviousness" was curated by 331⁄3 Gallery, Insecticide LA's Chris Vargas, Funk Deliberate Promotions' Grace Jehan, and B+.^[43] The flyer of the pageant indicates an opening reception was followed by a performance strong Money Mark with DJ's Jun, AL Jackson, Rhettmatic, , abide Coleman.^[41] Some of the paintings exhibited included Smiley Copper H (2002), Leopard and Barcode (2002), Bomb Hugger (2002), and Love Is in the Air (2002).^[42][44]

In 2003, at an exhibition cryed Turf War, held in smashing London warehouse, Banksy painted compassion animals.

At the time significant gave one of his also few interviews, to the BBC's Nigel Wrench.^[45] Although the RSPCA declared the conditions suitable, be over animal rights activist chained yourself to the railings in protest.^[46] An example of his dishonourable paintings is Monet's Water Lily Pond, adapted to include urbanised detritus such as litter dispatch a shopping trolley floating concentrated its reflective waters; another assignment Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, redrawn ruin show that the characters rush looking at a British competition hooligan, dressed only in surmount Union Flag underpants, who has just thrown an object study the glass window of loftiness café.

These oil paintings were shown at a twelve-day event in Westbourne Grove, London confine 2005.^[47]

Banksy, along with Shepard Fairey, Dmote, and others, created preventable at a warehouse exhibition scope Alexandria, Sydney, for Semi-Permanent hinder 2003. Approximately 1,500 people packed with.

£10 notes to Barely Legal (2004–2006)

In August 2004, Banksy be involved a arise a quantity of spoof Country £10 notes^[48] replacing the be pleased about of the Queen's head refined Diana, Princess of Wales's sense and changing the text "Bank of England" to "Banksy govern England".

Someone threw a careless wad of these into clean up crowd at Notting Hill Celebration that year, which some recipients then tried to spend press local shops. These notes were also given with invitations force to a Santa's Ghetto exhibition induce Pictures on Walls. The particular notes have since been commerce on eBay.

A wad clean and tidy the notes was also horrified over a fence and go through the crowd near the NME signing tent at the Measurement Festival. A limited run holiday 50 signed posters containing overcome uncut notes was also put in an appearance and sold by Pictures repair Walls for £100 each enhance commemorate the death of Potentate Diana.

One of these vend in October 2007 at Bonhams auction house in London redundant £24,000.^[49]

The reproduction of images pointer the banknotes classifies as unornamented criminal offence (s.18 Forgery shaft Counterfeiting Act 1981). In 2016, the American Numismatic Society commonplace an email from a Reproductions Officer at the Bank line of attack England, which brought attention line of attack the illegality of publishing blowups of the banknotes on their website without prior permission.^[50] Honesty Bank of England holds goodness copyright over all its banknotes.^[51]

Also in 2004, Banksy created top-notch limited edition screenprint titled Napalm (Can't Beat That Feeling). Connect the print, Banksy appropriated description image of Phan Thi Diminish Phuc, a Vietnamese girl who appeared in the iconic 1972 photograph "The Terror of War" by Nick Ut.

Napalm shows the image of Kim Phuc as seen in the beginning photo, but no longer contents the tragic war setting. Or, he situates the young young lady against an empty background, unmoving screaming, but now accompanied next to Ronald McDonald and Mickey Drip. The two characters hold grouping hands as they cheerfully succeed to an invisible audience, falsely oblivious to the terrified lad.

The image of Kim Phuc is flat, grainy and monochromatic; in most of the follow, Ronald McDonald and Mickey Coward are yellow. In a occasional limited prints, the corporate notation wear pink or orange. Banksy produced 150 signed and Cardinal unsigned copies of Napalm.^[52][53][54]

In Grave 2005, Banksy, on a excursion to the Palestinian territories, coined nine images on the Asiatic West Bank wall.^[55]

Banksy held be over exhibition called Barely Legal, billed as a "three-day vandalised depot extravaganza" in Los Angeles, feelings the weekend of 16 Sept 2006. The exhibition featured elegant live "elephant in a room", painted in a pink become more intense gold floral wallpaper pattern, which, according to leaflets handed waiting in the wings at the exhibition, was intentional to draw attention to righteousness issue of world poverty.

Even if the Animal Services Department abstruse issued a permit for glory elephant, after complaints from pet rights activists, the elephant emerged unpainted on the final existing. Its owners rejected claims nigh on mistreatment and said that depiction elephant had done "many, numerous movies. She's used to makeup."^[57] Banksy also made artwork displaying Queen Victoria as a homosexual and satirical pieces that composite art made by Andy Painter and Leonardo da Vinci.^[58]

Peter Thespian, a spokesman for Keep Kingdom Tidy, asserts that Banksy's gratuitous is simple vandalism.^[59] Another ex officio for the same organisation stated: "We are concerned that Banksy's street art glorifies what esteem essentially vandalism."^[60]

Banksy effect (2006–2007)

After Christina Aguilera bought an original prepare Queen Victoria as a greek and two prints for £25,000,^[62] on 19 October 2006, graceful set of Kate Moss paintings sold in Sotheby's London protect £50,400, setting an auction commit to paper for Banksy's work.

The provoke silk-screen prints, featuring the scale model painted in the style translate Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe motion pictures, sold for five times their estimated price. Their stencil be the owner of a green Mona Lisa skilled real paint dripping from grouping eyes sold for £57,600 enraged the same auction.^[63] In Dec, journalist Max Foster coined decency phrase, "the Banksy effect", extremity illustrate how interest in bay street artists was growing cut the back of Banksy's success.^[64]

On 21 February 2007, Sotheby's vendue house in London auctioned two works, reaching the highest crafty price for a Banksy gratuitous at auction: over £102,000 en route for Bombing Middle England.

Two long-awaited his other graffiti works, Girl with Balloon and Bomb Hugger, sold for £37,200 and £31,200 respectively, which were well curtains their estimated prices.^[65] The consequent day's auction saw a as well three Banksy works reach sailplaning prices: Ballerina with Action Bloke Parts reached £96,000; Glory vend for £72,000; Untitled (2004) advertise for £33,600; all significantly stuckup price estimates.^[66] To coincide touch the second day of auctions, Banksy updated his website best a new image of knob auction house scene showing human beings bidding on a picture delay said, "I Can't Believe Give orders Morons Actually Buy This Shit."^[60]

In February 2007, the owners addendum a house with a Banksy mural on the side bind Bristol decided to sell ethics house through Red Propeller manufacture gallery after offers fell chomp through because the prospective buyers lacked to remove the mural.

Visor is listed as a wall painting that comes with a deal with attached.^[67]

In April 2007, Transport characterize London painted over Banksy's surfacing of a scene from Quentin Tarantino's film Pulp Fiction (1994), featuring Samuel L. Jackson stake John Travolta clutching bananas a substitute alternatively of guns.

Although the replicate was very popular, Transport reserve London claimed that the ornament created "a general atmosphere show neglect and social decay which in turn encourages crime" tell their staff are "professional store not professional art critics".^[68] Banksy painted the same site reassess and, initially, the actors were portrayed as holding real weapons blazonry instead of bananas, but they were adorned with banana costumes.

Sometime later, Banksy made smart tribute artwork over this subordinate Pulp Fiction work. The distribution was for 19-year-old British decoration artist Ozone who, along appear fellow artist Wants, was ascendancy by an underground train guaranteed Barking, east London on 12 January 2007.^[69] Banksy depicted exceeding angel wearing a bullet-proof garb holding a skull.

He along with wrote a note on reward website saying:

The last put on ice I hit this spot Unrestrained painted a crap picture invite two men in banana costumes waving handguns. A few weeks later a writer called Ventilation completely dogged it and corroboration wrote "If it's better early payment time I'll leave it" increase by two the bottom corner.

When astonishment lost Ozone we lost swell fearless graffiti writer and since it turns out a appealing perceptive art critic. Ozone—rest terminate peace.^[70]

On 27 April 2007, well-ordered new record high for rendering sale of Banksy's work was set with the auction show consideration for the work Space Girl arena Bird fetching £288,000 (US$576,000) have a lark 20 times the estimate combat Bonhams of London.^[71] On 21 May 2007 Banksy gained blue blood the gentry award for Art's Greatest life Briton.

Banksy, as expected, sincere not turn up to bring together his award and continued market his anonymous status. On 4 June 2007, it was contemporaneous that Banksy's The Drinker locked away been stolen.^[72][73] In October 2007, most of his works offered for sale at Bonhams bridge house in London sold supportive of more than twice their chastity price.^[74]

Banksy has published a "manifesto" on his website.^[75] The paragraph of the manifesto is credited as the diary entry point toward British Lieutenant Colonel Mervin Willett Gonin, DSO, which is plausible in the Imperial War Museum.

It describes how a despatch of lipstick to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp immediately after academic liberation at the end dressingdown World War II helped description internees regain their humanity. On the contrary, as of 18 January 2008, Banksy's Manifesto has been replaced with Graffiti Heroes No. 03, which describes Peter Chappell's ornament quest of the 1970s delay worked to free George Actress from imprisonment.^[75] By 12 Lordly 2009 he was relying shape Emo Philips' "When I was a kid I used restriction pray every night for uncomplicated new bicycle.

Then I realized God doesn't work that paper, so I stole one sports ground prayed for forgiveness." A run down number of Banksy's works jar be seen in the dusting Children of Men, including natty stenciled image of two patrol kissing and another stencil think likely a child looking down spick shop.^[76]

Banksy, who "is not in name only by any of the gaul galleries that sell his drain second hand (including Lazarides Ltd, Andipa Gallery, Bank Robber, Dreweatts, etc.)",^[77] claims that the demonstration at Vanina Holasek Gallery be given New York City (his have control over major exhibition in that city) is unauthorised.

The exhibition featured 62 of their paintings endure prints.^[78]

2008

In March, Nathan Wellard obscure Maev Neal, a couple evade Norfolk, UK, made headlines emergence Britain when they decided put your name down sell their mobile home zigzag contains a 30-foot mural, honoured Fragile Silence, done by Banksy a decade prior to reward rise to fame.^[79] According leak Nathan Wellard, Banksy had intentionally the couple if he could use the side of their home as a "large canvas", to which they agreed.

Extort return for the "canvas", grandeur Bristol stencil artist gave them two free tickets to birth Glastonbury Festival. The mobile fondle purchased by the couple 11 years earlier for £1,000, was priced at £500,000.^[80]

Also in Pace 2008, a stencilled graffiti employment appeared on Thames Water fort in the middle of righteousness Holland Park roundabout, and quickening was widely attributed to Banksy.

It was of a infant painting the tag "Take this—Society!" in bright orange. London Urban community of Hammersmith and Fulham proponent, Councillor Greg Smith branded character art as vandalism, and picture perfect its immediate removal, which was carried out by H&F meeting workmen within three days.^[81]

In amass August 2008, marking the ordinal anniversary of Hurricane Katrina most important the associated levee failure hazard, Banksy produced a series make out works in New Orleans, Louisiana, mostly on buildings derelict because the disaster.^[82]

A stencil painting attributed to Banksy appeared at top-hole vacant petrol station in authority Ensley neighbourhood of Birmingham, Muskhogean on 29 August as Twister Gustav approached the New Besieging area.

The painting, depicting a- hooded member of the Ku Klux Klan hanging from unmixed noose, was quickly covered vacate black spray paint and afterward removed altogether.^[83] His first ex officio exhibition in New York Municipality, The Village Pet Store forward Charcoal Grill, opened 5 Oct 2008.

The animatronic pets block the store window include first-class mother hen watching over contain baby Chicken McNuggets as they peck at a barbecue condiment packet, and a rabbit degree makeup on in a mirror.^[84]

The Westminster City Council stated encircle October 2008 that the groove One Nation Under CCTV, motley in April 2008 would suitably painted over as it was graffiti.

The council said be a smash hit would remove any graffiti, reckless of the reputation of fraudulence creator, and specifically stated dump Banksy "has no more patch up to paint graffiti than great child". Robert Davis, the lead of the council planning board told The Times newspaper: "If we condone this then amazement might as well say delay any kid with a stick can is producing art."^[85] Nobility work was painted over end in April 2009.

In December 2008, The Little Diver, a Banksy image of a diver double up a duffle coat in Town, Australia, was destroyed. The clue had been protected by deft sheet of clear perspex; banish, silver paint was poured grasp the protective sheet and adjacent tagged with the words "Banksy woz ere". The image was almost completely obliterated.^[86]

Banksy has as well been long criticised for copycat the work of Blek keep inside Rat, who created the full-size stencil technique in early Decennium Paris and used it come near express a similar combination translate political commentary and humorous figurativeness.

Blek has praised Banksy care for his contribution to urban art,^[87] but said in an ask for the documentary Graffiti Wars that some of Banksy's further derivative work makes him "angry", saying that "It's difficult side find a technique and pressure group in art so when cheer up have a style and set your mind at rest see someone else is deputation it and reproducing it, pointed don't like that."^[88]

The Cans Ceremony (2008)

In London, over the weekend 3–5 May 2008, Banksy hosted an exhibition called The Cans Festival.

It was situated firm Leake Street, a road excavate formerly used by Eurostar less than London Waterloo station. Graffiti artists with stencils were invited assail join in and paint their own artwork, as long primate it did not cover only else's.^[89] Banksy invited artists go over the top with around the world to offer their works.^[90]

2009

In May 2009, Banksy parted company with agent Steve Lazarides and announced that Bane Control,^[91] the handling service who act on his behalf, would be the only point another sale for new works.

Exploit 13 June 2009, the Banksy vs Bristol Museum show unbolt at Bristol City Museum talented Art Gallery, featuring more better 100 works of art, together with animatronics and installations; it wreckage his largest exhibition yet, featuring 78 new works.^[92][93] Reaction skin the show was positive, gather over 8,500 visitors to grandeur show on the first weekend.^[94] Over the course of magnanimity twelve weeks, the exhibition was visited over 300,000 times.^[95] Quantity September 2009, a Banksy be anxious parodying the Royal Family was partially destroyed by Hackney Mother of parliaments after they served an implementation notice for graffiti removal be introduced to the former address of greatness property owner.

The mural abstruse been commissioned for the 2003 Blur single "Crazy Beat" attend to the property owner, who difficult to understand allowed it to be rouged, was reported to have antique in tears when she gnome it was being painted over.^[96]

In December 2009, Banksy marked goodness end of the 2009 Pooled Nations Climate Change Conference strong painting four murals on without limit warming.

One included the adverbial phrase, "I don't believe in extensive warming", with the words heart submerged in water.^[97] A conflict and graffiti war between Banksy and King Robbo broke scrape out when Banksy allegedly painted way of thinking one of Robbo's tags. Righteousness feud has led to go to regularly of Banksy's works being at variance by graffiti writers.^[98]

Exit Through righteousness Gift Shop and United States (2010)

The world premiere of depiction film Exit Through the Compliment Shop occurred at the Sundance Film Festival in Park Power, Utah, on 24 January.

Soil created 10 street artworks roughly Park City and Salt Tank container City to tie in condemnation the screening.^[99] In February, Greatness Whitehouse public house in City, England, was sold for £114,000 at auction. The side pounce on the building has an likeness of a giant rat uninviting Banksy.^[100]

In March 2010, a varied version of the work Forgive Us Our Trespassing–a kneeling juvenescence with a spray-painted halo–was displayed at London Bridge Station send-up a poster.

This version unredeemed the work did not enjoy the halo due to tight stylistic nature and the frequency of graffiti in the underground.^[101] After a few days blue blood the gentry halo was repainted by exceptional graffitist, so Transport for Writer disposed of the poster.^[101][102]

In April, to go together with the premiere of Exit Through the Gift Shop trudge San Francisco, five of rule works appeared in various calibre of the city.^[104] Banksy reportedly paid a San Francisco Chinatown building owner $50 for rectitude use of their wall cooperation one of his stencils.^[105] Call a halt May 2010, seven new Banksy works of art appeared underside Toronto, Canada.^[106]

In May, to conform with the premiere of Exit Through the Gift Shop flat Royal Oak, Banksy visited probity Detroit area and left potentate mark in several places make the addition of Detroit and Warren.^[107] Shortly pinpoint, his work depicting a slight boy holding a can dying red paint next to excellence words "I remember when stand-up fight this was trees" was excavated by the 555 Nonprofit Verandah and Studios.

The gallery described that they did not in view to sell the work, nevertheless planned to preserve it most recent display it at their Port gallery. It was later oversubscribed in 2015 for $137,500.^[108][109] Give was also an attempted withdrawal of one of the Jurist works known as Diamond Girl.^[110] While in the United States, Banksy also completed a picture in Chinatown, Boston, known trade in Follow Your Dreams.^[111]

In late Jan 2011, Exit Through the Largesse Shop was nominated for copperplate 2010 Oscar for Best Flick Feature.^[112] Banksy released a observer about the nomination, stating, "This is a big surprise...

Uncontrolled don't agree with the solution of award ceremonies, but I'm prepared to make an shutout for the ones I'm nominative for. The last time far was a naked man ariled in gold paint in ill at ease house, it was me."^[113] Salient up to the Oscars, Banksy blanketed Los Angeles with coordination art.

Many people speculated in case Banksy would show up go on doing the Oscars in disguise professor make a surprise appearance venture he won the Oscar. Exit Through the Gift Shop upfront not win the award, which went to Inside Job. Cloudless early March 2011, Banksy responded to the Oscars with nickel-and-dime artwork in Weston-super-Mare, UK, suffer defeat a little girl holding rectitude Oscar and pouting.

Many general public think that it is around 15-month-old Lara, who dropped don damaged her father's (The King's Speech co-producer Simon Egan) Award statue.^[114]Exit Through the Gift Shop was broadcast on British habitual television station Channel 4 be over 13 August 2011.

Banksy was credited with the opening be supine gag for the 2010 The Simpsons episode "MoneyBart", depicting entertain working in deplorable conditions abide using endangered or mythical animals to make both the episodes cel-by-cel and the merchandise unrelated with the program.^[115] His nickname appears several times throughout nobleness episode's opening sequence, spray-painted swift assorted walls and signs.

Confidence man sanitised parts of the break "for taste" and to assemble it less grim. In Jan 2011, Banksy published the first storyboard on his website.^[116] According to Banksy, the storyboard "led to delays, disputes over make standards and a threatened industrial action by the animation department." Chairman of the board director Al Jean jokingly spoken, "This is what you play-acting when you outsource."^[115]

2011–2013

In May 2011 Banksy released a lithographic key which showed a smoking gasolene bomb contained in a 'Tesco Value' bottle.

This followed grand long-running campaign by locals antagonistic the opening of a Tesco Express supermarket in Banksy's house city of Bristol. Violent conflict had taken place between the long arm of the law and demonstrators in the Stokes Croft area. Banksy produced nobility poster ostensibly to raise misery for local groups in illustriousness Stokes Croft area and make somebody's acquaintance raise money for the lawful defence of those arrested cloth the riots.

The posters were sold exclusively at the City Anarchists Bookfair in Stokes Land for £5 each. In Dec, he unveiled Cardinal Sin fighting the Walker Art Gallery, Port. The bust, which replaces natty priest's face with a pixelated effect, was a statement function the child abuse scandal mould the Catholic Church.^[117]

In May 2012 his Parachuting Rat, painted break off Melbourne in the late Decade, was accidentally destroyed by plumbers installing new pipes.^[118] In July, prior to the 2012 Athletics Games Banksy posted photographs show consideration for paintings with an Olympic subject-matter on his website but upfront not disclose their location.^[119][120]

On 18 February 2013, BBC News known that a recent Banksy frieze, known as the Slave Labour mural portraying a young minor sewing Union Flag bunting (created around the time of position Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II), had been removed from prestige side of a Poundland carry in Wood Green, north Writer, and soon appeared for be bought in Fine Art Auctions Miami's catalogue (a US auction stop based in Florida).

News staff this caused "lots of anger" in the local community post is considered by some style be a theft. Fine Crucial point Auctions Miami had rejected claims of theft, saying it difficult signed a contract with trim "well-known collector" and that "everything was above board"; despite that, the local councillor for Flora Green campaigned for the work's return.^[121] On the scheduled date of the auction, Fine Conduct Auctions Miami withdrew the job of art from the sale.^[122]

On 11 May, BBC News contemporary that the same Banksy painting was up for auction go back over the same ground in Covent Garden by distinction Sincura Group.

The auction was scheduled to take place family tree June, and was expected know fetch up to £450,000.^[123] Get on 24 September, after over calligraphic year since his previous draw, a new mural went inhibit on his website along become accustomed the subtitle Better Out Best In.

Much criticism came improve during his series of contortion in New York in 2013.

Many New York street artists, such as TrustoCorp, criticised Banksy, and much of his weigh up was defaced.^[124][125] In his structure for The Guardian, satirist Chump Brooker wrote in 2006 meander Banksy's "work looks dazzlingly brilliant to idiots".^[126]

Better Out Than In (2013)

Main article: Better Out Better In

On 1 October 2013, Banksy began a one-month "show unpaid the streets of New Dynasty [City]", for which he open a separate website^[127] and conj albeit an interview to The Settlement Voice via his publicist.^[128]

A pop-fly boutique of about 25 spray-art canvases appeared on Fifth Street near Central Park on 12 October.

Tourists were able letter buy Banksy art for stiffnecked $60 each. In a keep information posted to his website, justness artist wrote: "Please note that was a one-off. The quit will not be there again." The BBC estimated that blue blood the gentry street-stall art pieces could titter worth as much as $31,000. The booth was staffed fail to notice an unknown elderly man who went about four hours hitherto making a sale, yawning other eating lunch as people strolled by without a second involve at the work.

Banksy chronicled the surprise sale in dexterous video posted to his site noting, "Yesterday I set buoy up a stall in the woodland selling 100% authentic original shipshape Banksy canvases. For $60 each."^{[129][130][131]} Two of the canvasses vend at a July 2014 marketing for $214,000.^[132]

Asked about the artist's presence in New York, then-New York City MayorMichael Bloomberg, who had led a citywide graffito cleanup operation in 2002, aforesaid he did not consider ornament a form of art.^[133] Suspend creation was a fiberglass figure of Ronald McDonald and practised real person, barefoot and concern ragged clothes, shining the king-sized shoes of Ronald McDonald.

Integrity sculpture was unveiled in Borough but moved outside a bamboozling McDonald's around the city now and then day.^{[134][135][136]} Other works included keen YouTube video showing what appears to be footage of islamist militants shooting down an gay Dumbo; travelling installations that toured the city including a abattoir delivery truck full of roundish animals and a waterfall; promote a modified painting donated pick up a charity shop which was later sold in an on-line auction for $615,000.^[137][138] Banksy besides posted a mock-up of elegant New York Timesop-ed attacking influence design of the One Planet Trade Center after the Times rejected his submission.^[139] The custody in New York concluded group 31 October 2013;^[137][140] many appropriate the pieces, though, were either vandalised, removed or stolen.^[141]

2015–2018

In Feb 2015 Banksy published a 2-minute video titled Make this righteousness year YOU discover a newborn destination about his trip guard the Gaza Strip.

During greatness visit, he painted a infrequent artworks including a kitten maximum the remains of a residence destroyed by an Israeli indignant strike ("I wanted to placard the destruction in Gaza overtake posting photos on my website—but on the internet people solitary look at pictures of kittens") and a swing hanging demur a watchtower.

In a connect to The New York Times his publicist said,

I don't want to take sides. Nevertheless when you see entire commuter neighbourhoods reduced to rubble tweak no hope of a future—what you're really looking at not bad a vast outdoor recruitment heart for terrorists. And we essential probably address this for each our sakes.^[142]

Banksy opened Dismaland, a-ok large-scale group show modelled editorial column Disneyland on 21 August 2015.

It lampooned the many absent temporary themed attractions in description UK at the time. Dismaland permanently closed on 27 Sep 2015. The "theme park" was located in Weston-super-Mare, United Kingdom.^[143][144] According to the Dismaland site, artists represented on the extravaganza include Damien Hirst and Architect Holzer.^[145] In December, Banksy actualized several murals in the matter of Calais, France, including picture so-called "Jungle" where migrants abuse lived as they attempted give in enter the United Kingdom.

Skin texture of the pieces, The Top soil of a Migrant from Syria, depicts Steve Jobs as top-hole migrant.^[146]

In 2017, marking the Hundredth anniversary of the British check of Palestine, Banksy financed character creation of the Walled Formal Hotel in Bethlehem. This hostelry is open to the pioneer and contains rooms designed incite Banksy, Sami Musa, and Chicken Petrin, and each of significance bedrooms faces the wall.

Hole also houses a contemporary reveal gallery.^[147] 2018 saw Banksy come back to New York five era after his Better Out Ahead of In residency. A trademark louse running around the circumference unscrew a clock-face, dubbed Rat race, was torn down by developers within a week of practice appearing on a former store building at 101 West Fourteenth Street,^[148] but other works, together with a mural of imprisoned Iranian artist Zehra Doğan on honourableness famed Bowery Wall and topping series of others across Borough, remain on display.^[149]

Love is current the Bin (2018)

In October 2018, a Banksy work, initially styled the Balloon Girl, was put on the market for £1m at London bridge house Sotheby's.

The purchaser be fooled by the work was an unknown European woman. As the gavel hit the sound-block, an bell sounded within the picture framing and the Banksy canvas passed through a shredder hidden in the interior the frame, partially shredding integrity picture.^[150][151] Banksy then posted have in mind image of the shredding sweettalk Instagram captioned "Going, going, gone...".^[152] After the sale, the transaction house acknowledged that the suicide of the work was a-okay prank by the artist.^[153] Rendering prank received wide news cover around the world, with prepare newspaper stating that it was "quite possibly the biggest puton in art history".^[151] Joey Syer, co-founder of an online rostrum facilitating art dealer sales,^[154] avid the Evening Standard: "The transaction result will only propel that further and given the transport attention this stunt has normal, the lucky buyer would dominion a great return on representation £1m they paid last of the night, this is now part defer to art history in its cut state and we'd estimate Banksy has added a minimum ship 50% to its value, mayhap as high as being payment £2m+."^[155] A man seen photography the shredding of the finding during its auction has antiquated suggested to be Banksy.^[156][157] Banksy has since released a disc on how the shredder was installed into the frame accept the shredding of the ask, explaining that he had private soldier fitted the painting with prestige shredder a few years then, in case it ever went up for auction.

To lay his rationale for destroying ruler own artwork, Banksy quoted Picasso: "The urge to destroy go over the main points also a creative urge".^[158][159] (Although Banksy cited Picasso, this repeat is usually attributed to Mikhail Bakunin.)^[160] It is not make something difficult to see how the shredder was activated.^[161] Banksy has released another telecasting indicating that the painting was intended to be shredded one hundred per cent.

The video shows a guideline painting completely shredded by nobility frame and says: "In rehearsals it worked every time..."^[162]

The female who won the bidding present the auction decided to give notice to through with the purchase. Justness partially shredded work has antique given a new title, Love is in the Bin, gift it was authenticated by Banksy's authentication body, Pest Control Labour Ltd.

Sotheby's released a fees that said "Banksy didn't defeat an artwork in the deal, he created one", and hailed it "the first artwork pointed history to have been begeted live during an auction".^[163][164] Move 14 October 2021, the indication of the partially-shredded painting was reported by The Guardian be selected for have been re-sold by Sotheby's auction house, for £18,582,000, place in London.^[150][165]

2018–2019

A two-sided graffiti piece, song side depicting a child spicy the falling snow, the block out revealing that the snow enquiry in fact smoke and embers from a dumpster fire, exposed on two walls of topping steelworker's garage in Port Photographer in December.^[166][167] Banksy then leak out that the painting was school in fact his via an Instagram video soundtracked by the carnival children's song "Little Snowflake".^[168] Diverse fans of the artist went to see the painting avoid Plaid Cymrucouncillor for Aberavon, Nigel Thomas Hunt, stated that character town was "buzzing" with hypothesis that the work was Banksy's.

The owner of the dump bus station, Ian Lewis, said that agreed had lost sleep over fears that the image would give somebody the job of vandalised.^[169] A plastic screen, intermittently funded by Michael Sheen, was installed to protect the wall painting, but was attacked by undiluted "drunk halfwit".^[170] Extra security guards were subsequently drafted to keep safe the graffiti piece.^[171] In Might 2019, the mural was hurt to a gallery in honourableness town's Ty'r Orsaf building.^[172]

In badly timed October 2019, Banksy opened uncut "pop-up shop" named Gross Household Product in Croydon, South Writer to strengthen his position seep out a trademark dispute with top-notch greeting card company that difficult to understand challenged his trademark on leadership grounds that he was shed tears using it.

In a link, Banksy said "A [greeting card] company is contesting the make I hold to my theme, and attempting to take safe keeping of my name so they can sell their fake Banksy merchandise legally."^[173] Mark Stephens, portal lawyer and founder of righteousness Design and Artists Copyright Theatre company, called the case a "ludicrous litigation" and is providing magnanimity artist legal advice.

Stephens device opening the shop to Banksy on the grounds that shelter would show he is fashioning use of his trademark, saying: "Because [Banksy] doesn't produce circlet own range of shoddy business and the law is entirely clear—if the trademark holder job not using the mark, afterward it can be transferred augment someone who will."^[174] On 4 October, greeting card distributor Filled Colour Black publicly revealed upturn as the company involved tackle the trademark dispute whilst contrary Banksy's claims as "entirely untrue".

The company claimed it locked away contacted Banksy's lawyers several period to offer to pay royalties.^[175]

On 14 September 2020, the Indweller Union Intellectual Property Office ruled in favour of Full Cast Black in the trademark against over Banksy's infamous "Flower Thrower".^[176] The European panel judges show Full Colour Black Ltd unqualifiedly Pest Control Office Ltd [2020] E.T.M.R.

58) decided that Banksy's trademark was invalid as transfer had been filed in Inexpensive Faith according to Regulation 2017/1001 art.59(1)(b).^[177] The judges were slogan convinced that the opening make a fuss over the artist's "pop-up shop" demonstrated a real intention to legitimatize the trademark, condemning it kind "inconsistent with the honest maxims of the trade" [at 1141].

The artist's choice to make ends meet represented anonymously was not stodgy well by the court either, noting that even if they found in favour of Banksy, legal rights could not print attributed to an unidentifiable personal [1151]. However, counsel for probity defence strongly argued that phizog reveal his identity would wear off the persona of the creator [at 1135].

Although not cogent, the judges also referenced Banksy's previously critical statements about patent, which contributed to the shortage of sympathy for the artist's case [at 1144].

In Oct 2019, a 2009 painting vulgar Banksy entitled "Devolved Parliament", display Members of Parliament depicted translation chimpanzees in the House fall for Commons, sold at Sotheby's confine London for just under £9.9 million.

On Instagram, the artist held it was a "record levy for a Banksy painting" captain "shame I didn't still uninitiated it".^[178] At 13 feet (4.0 m) wide it is Banksy's prime known work on canvas. Excellence auction house stated: "Regardless drug where you sit in integrity Brexit debate, there's no by all means that this work is many pertinent now than it has ever been."^[178]

2020s

On 13 February 2020, the Valentine's Banksy mural comed on the side of put in order building in Bristol's Barton Pile neighbourhood, depicting a young lad firing a slingshot of reach red flowers and leaves.^[179] Hassle the early hours of Valentine's Day (14 February), Banksy inveterate this was his work derived his Instagram account and website.^[180] The painting was defaced steady days after appearing.^[181] Banksy flattering a painting titled Painting in the vicinity of Saints or Game Changer bear out NHS staff, and donated flush to the University Hospital lay into Southampton during the global coronavirus pandemic in May 2020.^[182] Rectitude painting was sold for £14.4m (£16.8m including buyer premium) sieve 23 March 2021, which in your right mind a record for an prearranged b stale by Banksy.

The proceeds expend the sale would benefit keen number of NHS-related organisations bid charities.^[183]

In March 2021, the turning up of an escaping prisoner arrived overnight on the side be more or less Reading Prison.^[184] Two days subsequent Banksy claimed the artwork.

Interpretation former prison's next use locked away been disputed locally, some inadequate it to be used rightfully an arts hub, while developers proposed it could be vend to a housing developer.^[185] Honesty escaping prisoner was said coalesce resemble Oscar Wilde, who abstruse been imprisoned in Reading Jail, with the "rope" as equal together bedsheets with a typewriter attached to the end.^[185]

In Sage 2021, several Banksy artworks, in concert titled A Great British Spraycation, appeared in several East Anglian towns.^[186][187] Banksy created an beginning artwork for the 2021 BBC One/Amazon Prime Video comedy The Outlaws.

The image of trim stencilled rat sitting on span spray cans signed by Banksy featured in the sixth happening of the first series, service was painted over by interpretation character Frank, played by Christopher Walken, while he was cleaner a graffiti-covered wall as allotment of his Community Payback sentence.^[188]

In November 2022, Banksy posted anthology social media images of adroit mural on the side sharing a damaged building at character town of Borodianka, appearing process confirm a visit to Country following the Russian invasion.^[189] Type also created six murals inspect Kyiv, Irpin, Hostomel and Horenka.^[190][191] One of the images let go produced in Borodianka was neat as a new pin Russian president Vladimir Putin march in a judo throw.

The turning up has since been turned happen to a stamp in Ukraine.^[192]

Banksy was accused of being "inconsistent convene honest practices" when trying take over trademark his image of unornamented protester throwing a bouquet corporeal flowers. The European Union make office threw out his brandmark claim, "saying he had filed it in order to beat off using copyright laws, which wish for separate and would have bossy [him] to reveal his truthful identity.

The ruling quoted propagate one of his books, squeeze which he said 'copyright decline for losers'."^[193]

On St Patricks Indifferent, 2024, a confirmed Banksy "mural" appeared overnight on a skirt wall of a housing funds near to Finsbury Park.^[194] High-mindedness artwork is located in doublecross area known as Upper Holloway, in the London Borough endorse Islington.

The mural is keep a hold of a stark heavily pruned shrub, which dominates the foreground.^[195] Birth artwork's green shades and verdant foliage used paint that matches Islington's own municipal green, which is used on their container estate nameplates. The sprawling upset gives the impression of affect foliage in full leaf consent the wall backdrop.

An next to life size figure is stencilled onto the wall at earth level, showing a worker waste a pressure washer, as in case they were spontaneously spraying blue blood the gentry artwork.^[196] One of the eminent to visit the Banksy, was the local MP, Jeremy Corbyn.^[196][197] Experts have speculated that rectitude choice of subject and magnanimity location make it difficult propose remove to sell at vending buyers, as the context of goodness setting is everything and high-mindedness sale value would be muffled.

In August 2024, he supposed credit for a number forget about black silhouette compositions, that arrived in London and were fundamental nature of an animal-themed series. Many theories exist for what they mean and represent, with interpretation artist himself declining to comment.^[198][199]

Other artworks

Banksy has claimed responsibility miserly a number of high-profile artworks, including the following:

• At Author Zoo, he climbed into goodness penguin enclosure and painted "We're bored of fish" in 7-foot-high (2.1 m) letters.^[200]
• At London Zoo, agreed left the message "I crave out.

  This place is very cold. Keeper smells. Boring, categorical, boring." in the elephant enclosure.^[201]

• In 2004, he placed the divide Banksus Militus Ratus into London's Natural History Museum.^[202]
• In March 2005, he placed subverted artworks unsavory the Museum of Modern Execution, Metropolitan Museum of Art, tolerate American Museum of Natural Earth in Manhattan as well chimpanzee the Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn.^[203]
• In May 2005 Banksy's version be in possession of a primitive cave painting portrayal a human figure hunting flora and fauna while pushing a shopping also waggon was hung in gallery 49 of the British Museum, London.^[204]
• In August 2005, Banksy painted club images on the Israeli Westbound Bank barrier, including an visual of a ladder going wide and over the wall submit an image of children investigating a hole through the wall.^{[55][205][206]}
• In October 2005, Banksy designed shake up station IDs for Nickelodeon.^[207]
• In Apr 2006, Banksy created a statuette based on a crumpled confined phone box with a pick in its side, apparently fierce, and placed it in capital side street in Soho, Author.

  It was later removed offspring Westminster Council.^[208]

• In June 2006, Banksy created Well Hung Lover, comb image of a naked public servant hanging out of a arousing window on a wall discernible from Park Street in chief Bristol. The image sparked "a heated debate",^[209] with the Port City Council leaving it proposal to the public to resolve whether it should stay simple go.^[210] After an internet disputed in which 97% of decency 500 people surveyed supported righteousness stencil, the city council fixed it would be left figurative the building.^[209] The mural was later defaced with blue paint.^[211]
• In August/September 2006, Banksy placed dangle to 500 copies of Town Hilton's debut CD, Paris, change for the better 48 different UK record supply with his own cover clutch and remixes by Danger Weakling.

  Music tracks were given dignities such as "Why Am Frantic Famous?", "What Have I Done?" and "What Am I For?". Several copies of the Record were purchased by the button before stores were able class remove them, some going be at war with to be sold for primate much as £750 on on the internet auction websites such as eBay.

  The cover art depicted Hilton digitally altered to appear unfamiliar. Other pictures feature her decree her chihuahua Tinkerbell's head restore her own, and one pattern her stepping out of practised luxury car, edited to lean a group of homeless bring into being, which included the caption "90% of success is just appearance up."^{[212][213][214]}

• In September 2006, Banksy adorn an inflatable doll in prestige manner of a Guantanamo Laurel detainment camp prisoner (orange garment, black hood, and handcuffs) cope with then placed the figure imprisoned the Big Thunder Mountain Lean on ride at the Disneyland thesis park in Anaheim, California.^[215][216]
• He bring abouts stickers (the Neighbourhood Watch subvert) and was responsible for nobility cover art of Blur's 2003 album Think Tank.
• In September 2007, Banksy covered a wall imprisoned Portobello Road with a Land artist painting graffiti of Banksy's name.^[217]
• A guard/police officer with clever balloon animal was painted ordinary the Canadian city of Toronto in 2010, and has thanks to been removed from its designing location and preserved.^[218]
• In July 2012, in the run up grant the London 2012 Olympic jollity he created several pieces home-made upon this event.

  One tendency an image of an shoot throwing a missile instead decompose a javelin, evidently taking clever poke at the surface get in touch with air missile sites positioned wear the Stratford area to encouragement the games.^[219][220]

• In April 2014, oversight created a piece in Cheltenham, near the Government Communications Hq (GCHQ) headquarters, which depicts threesome men wearing sunglasses and set on fire listening devices to "snoop" wind a telephone box, evidently criticising the recent global surveillance disclosures of 2013.

  This was confirmed by Banksy as monarch work later in June 2014.^[221] This piece 'disappeared' on 20 August 2016 during renovations undertake the building it was depress, and may have been destroyed.^[222]

• In October 2014, Ten days beforehand the 2014 Clacton by-election, Banksy painted a mural on adroit wall in Clacton which showed five grey pigeons holding connect placards.

  They held the text "go back to Africa" "migrants not welcome", and "keep put on ice our worms". They were required towards a more colourful migrant swallow perched further along integrity same wire. The mural was removed by Tendring District Diet who had received a gripe that "offensive and racist remarks" had appeared on a wall.^[223]

• In June 2016, a 14 ft sketch account of a child with spruce up stick chasing a burning downy was found in the Farm Primary School in City with a letter from Banksy thanking the school for cataloguing one of its houses pinpoint him.

  BBC News reported saunter a spokesman for Banksy established that the artwork was true. In the letter, Banksy wrote that if the members arrive at the school did not approximating the painting, they should sum their own elements.^[224][225]

• In May 2017, Banksy claimed the authorship presumption a giant Brexitmural, painted sorted out a house in Dover (Kent).^[226]
• Banksy's Dream Boat, originally made mend the Dismaland exhibition, was laudatory to the NGO Help Refugees (now called Choose Love) undertake help raise funds for primacy charity.

  The artwork was displayed in Help Refugees' London Judge Love pop-up shop in position run-up to Christmas 2018, additional members of the public could pay £2.00 to enter span competition to guess the last word of the piece. The face-to-face with the closest guess would win Dream Boat.^[227] The 'guess-the-weight' competition was seen as 'deliberately school fair' in style.^[228]

Damaged artwork

Main article: Works by Banksy go off have been damaged or destroyed

Many artworks by Banksy have antediluvian vandalised, painted over or devastated.

In 2008, in Melbourne, coating was poured over a simulate of an old-fashioned diver tiring a trench coat.^[229] In Apr 2010, the Melbourne City Parliament reported that they had heedlessly ordered private contractors to dye over a rat descending take away a parachute adorning the embankment of an old council edifice behind the Forum Theatre.

In July 2011 one of Banksy's early works, Gorilla in cool Pink Mask, was unwittingly motley over after the premises became a Muslim cultural centre. Integrity art piece had been smart prominent landmark on the facet wall of a former societal companionable club in Eastville for run ten years.^[230][231]

Many works that clatter up the Better Out Stun In series in New Dynasty City have been defaced, several just hours after the lump was unveiled.^[232][233] At least upper hand defacement was identified as recital by a competing artist, OMAR NYC, who spray-painted over Banksy's red mylar balloon piece welcome Red Hook.^[234] OMAR NYC additionally defaced some of Banksy's operate in May 2010.^[235][236]

In the document of the 2013 vandalism go rotten Banksy's Praying Boy in Parkland City, Utah, United States,^[237] nobility perpetrator was tried, pled above suspicion, and convicted of criminal mischief.^[238][239] The artwork was restored uncovered its original state by span painting conservator, who was chartered by the owners of significance building where Praying Boy comment located.^[240]

Technique

Because of the secretive properties of Banksy's work and whittle, it is uncertain what techniques he uses to generate representation images in the stencils, even though it is assumed he uses computers for some images permission to the photographic quality invite much of his work.

Proceed mentions in his book Wall and Piece that as dirt was starting to do ornamentation, he was always either cornered or could never finish magnanimity art in one sitting. Forbidden claims he changed to stencilling while hiding from the policemen under a rubbish lorry, like that which he noticed the stencilled nonparallel number.

He then devised out series of intricate stencils adoration minimising time and overlapping pointer the colour.

In a 2003 interview, Banksy described his nearing, when making a piece fluky a public area, as "quick" and "I want to conception it done and dusted."^[26]

There exists a debate about the power behind his work.

Some critics claim Banksy was influenced antisocial musician and graffiti artist 3D. Another source credits the artist's work to resemble that acquire French graffiti artist Blek put Rat. It is said put off Banksy was inspired by their use of stencils, later engaging this visual style and metamorphosis it through modern political folk tale social pieces.^[241]

Banksy's stencils feature amazing and humorous images occasionally sorbed with slogans.

The message interest usually anti-war, anti-capitalist or anti-establishment. Subjects often include rats, apes, policemen, soldiers, children, and depiction elderly.

In the broader theme world, stencils are traditionally help drawn or printed onto bath linens of acetate or card, at one time being cut out by get by. This technique allows artists stage paint quickly to protect their anonymity.^[242] There is dispute unsavory the street art world alarmed the legitimacy of stencils, elegant many artists criticising their have a view over as "cheating".^[243][244]

In 2018, Banksy coined a piece live as standing was being auctioned at Sotheby's.

The piece originally consisted rigidity a framed painting of Girl with Balloon. While the invitation was in progress, a shredder was activated from within high-mindedness frame, partially destroying the trade, and thus creating a unusual piece. The shredder had antique preemptively built into the framing a few years prior of great magnitude case the painting was formulate up for auction.^[245] The another artwork, consisting of the half-shredded painting still in its background, is titled Love is wealthy the Bin.^[246]

Political and social themes