Famous Graffiti Artists

Banksy
Synopsis
Banksy, a street artist whose identity remains unknown, is believed to have been
born in Bristol, England, around 1974. He rose to prominence for his provocative
stenciled pieces in the late 1990s. Banksy is the subject of a 2010 documentary,
Exit Through the Gift Shop, which examines the relationship between commercial
and street art.

Artistic Career
Banksy began his career as a graffiti artist in the early 1990s, in Bristol's graffiti
gang DryBreadZ Crew. Although his early work was largely freehand, Banksy
used stencils on occasion. In the late '90s, he began using stencils predominantly.
His work became more widely recognized around Bristol and in London, as his
signature style developed.

Bansky's artwork is characterized by striking images, often combined with
slogans. His work often engages political themes, satirically critiquing war,
capitalism, hypocrisy and greed. Common subjects include rats, apes, policemen,
members of the royal family, and children. In addition to his two-dimensional
work, Banksy is known for his installation artwork. One of the most celebrated of
these pieces, which featured a live elephant painted with a Victorian wallpaper
pattern, sparked controversy among animal rights activists.

Other pieces have drawn attention for their edgy themes or the boldness of their
execution. Banksy's work on the West Bank barrier, between Israel and
Palestine, received significant media attention in 2005. He is also known for his
use of copyrighted material and subversion of classic images. An example of this
is Banksy's version of Monet's famous series of water lilies paintings, adapted by
Banksy to include drifting trash and debris.

Banksy's worldwide fame has transformed his artwork from acts of vandalism to
sought-after high art pieces. Journalist Max Foster has referred to the rising
prices of graffiti as street art as "the Banksy effect." Interest in Banksy escalated
with the release of the 2010 documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. The film,
which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, was nominated for an Academy
Award.

Identity
Banksy's identity remains unknown, despite intense speculation. The two names
most often suggested are Robert Banks and Robin Gunningham. Pictures that
surfaced of a man who was supposedly Banksy pointed toward Gunningham, an
artist who was born in Bristol in 1973. Gunningham moved to London around
2000, a timeline that correlates with the progression of Banksy's artwork.


Quotes by Banksy
Speak softly, but carry a big can of paint.

I'd been painting rats for three years before someone said 'that's clever it's an
anagram of art' and I had to pretend I'd known that all along.

Graffiti ultimately wins out over proper art because it becomes part of your city,
it' s a tool; "I'll meet you in that pub, you know, the one opposite that wall with a
picture of a monkey holding a chainsaw". I mean, how much more useful can a
painting be than that?

"People who should be shot: Fascist thugs, religious fundamentalists, people who
write lists telling you who should be shot."

"People say graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish. But that's only if it's done
properly."

"We can't do anything to change the world until capitalism crumbles. In the
meantime we should all go shopping to console ourselves."

Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if
you don't come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make someone
smile while they're having a piss.

A wall is a very big weapon. It's one of the nastiest things you can hit someone
with.

You owe the companies nothing. You especially don't owe them any courtesy.
They have re-arranged the world to put themselves in front of you. They never
asked for your permission, don't even start asking for theirs.


Banksys Graffiti
Images and detail can get from http://www.banksy.co.uk/outdoors/index1.html






About Aryz
Aryz is not only a street artist; he is an illustrator, a painter, and more He is a
very young artist, currently in his early twenties. He is from Barcelona, Spain and
his name has slowly but surely conquered a large fan base.

He is very talented and works with a variety of art methods, never limiting his
imagination. His phenomenal style has adapted to indoor and outdoor
environments, often creating detailed cartoon-like characters with a strong
passion for art. His primary works, for what he is known for, are large and
intricate detailed murals created through the use of paint rollers, paint brushes,
and spray paint.

Although there are many famous street artists out there, one can not compare
Aryz to the rest. Not only has he accomplished what most artists do in centuries,
but Aryz has gone beyond what any one ever expected. Aryz just paints to paint,
not simple explanation. He truly enjoys his art, and he is not sure one whether to
call his work art street art.

Aryz Murals
Large murals have been popping out everywhere over the past years. As a matter
of fact, advertisement was once relied on these murals, before billboards and
electronic billboards where created. Very talented artists would spend days
painting large murals advertising a product or a company.

The difference between paint murals and electronic billboards is that paint
murals take hard work to create. Not only are they time-consuming, but their
sight are also breath taking. On the other hand, electronic billboards blend in
with the commercialized and information age. There is hardly anything special
about them.

Aryz has constantly proven his murals to be an effective force. Not only can one
see their amazing sight in person, but they can also be seen through-out the
internet in many street art blogs, social media websites, and even reporting
articles. These pictures also speak for themselves, often showing the true size of
the Aryz murals by having an individual standing next to them.

Aryz Graffiti
Images and detail of Aryzs artwork in Outdoor Column
http://www.aryz.es/outdoor/

Interview with Aryz
First question: why are you making street art?
I paint for fun. I dont know if street art is the word to define my work. I dont paint
much in the street...

So you dont like the name street art when it is used about your works?
I dont really know what it should be called, some people call it graffiti and some other
street art. I really dont care. I started painting graffiti, and then I started doing
characters and big walls I dont know. I think they are just interventions in outdoor
spaces.

Do you make only legal works or also illegal?
Normally I paint in abandoned factories, and its legal in a way, in abandoned spaces
normally nobody cares , but if police comes depends on the officer you have to leave or
maybe you can staySometimes I have the opportunity to paint a wall with permission,
so we do it legally, like here in Katowice.

So generally you make big things? Like a huge format?
It depends, normally if I have a big wall, I paint a big work. But when I cant find a big
wall I paint what I have.

Its not your first time in Poland. Did you made any works in Poland before this
one in Katowice?
Yes, I came to Poland for the first time three years ago or so I painted in 4 cities.
Lublin, Wroclaw, Warsaw and Cracow. I dont remember the order in which I painted
but that was different stuff.

Why was it different stuff?
It was long ago I just did quick things without thinking much what I was doing I did
such bad stuff then I dont really want to remember.

What impact would you like to have on the city?
I paint for myself, for having fun. I wouldnt be doing it if I didnt like to do it. If people
like it, its even better, but its not my main purpose.

Talking about your works, whats your biggest ambition, dream? What would you
like to accomplish?
I dont know. I would like to keep having the same amount of walls that I have now. I
guess that my dream would be to become faster, but its not so easy.

Was there any shift in your style of works?
Yes, I started painting with graffiti people from my town, they were making letters, and I
was making characters between letters. After a while I had a stupid injury in my finger
for pressing in a wrong way the spray cans. So I started to use more brush instead of
spray. At the same time the guys I was painting with, said that my works were not cool
anymore because I was not using spraycans, so we finished our cooperation. After that I
started painting for myself, trying to do more characters and big paintings.

Where do you find inspiration?
Everything that surrounds me influences me in a good or bad way.

How do you manage to do works in such a huge format?
Its practice, its not difficult for anybody I think. Its just that you need more time to
spend. You have to go far to take a look more often because some parts might be smaller
that you expected. But at the end it is just a matter of practice.

You are 22 years old, and you sound as if you have been making art for a very long
time. When and how did you become interested in this kind of activity?
When I was at high school, I met some guys who were breakdancing and listening to hip
hop and I started to hanging around with them , one day they said lets go paint some
wall. We went to buy some sprays and we went painting We just did a really huge
mess I tried to go and fix it the next day but it ended even worst. Since then its been
like a personal challenge.

Do you work mostly with a group of people or always alone?
I have a group called Mixed Media, it was supposed to be a mixture of techniques. But
at the end we just paint with acrylic or spray not a big deal.

Whats your favourite work that youve ever made?
I dont have any favourite one I have some works that I really hate