#36 Banksy

"Girl and Balloon (Limited Edition)"

Finding information for this artist Banksy is kind of hard because the true identity of Banksy is a mystery. Banksy was born is Bristol. He is considered to be one of Britain's most celebrated graffiti artists. Stencils of his work have become very popular throughout the UK and his subversive images can be seen on walls throughout the world. Many of Banksy's images have been moved off of public walls and into private collections in the form of limited edition prints. These limited edition prints help to generate revenue for auction houses such as Bonhams and Christies. Even Banksy's works that still remain on walls have been sold in auctions, with some of them being dismantled. A house in Bristol Banksy's artwork on the outside was also sold as "a work of art with a house attached" through an estate agent. Banksy designed the cover for Blur's "Think Tank". Banksy has managed to attract great media attention through various stunts aimed at the establishment. These stunts have included hanging Banksy prints in establishments such as London's Tate Museum and the New York Museum of Modern Art. In 2005 Banksy's version of a primitive cave painting that showed a human figure who is hunting wildlife with pushing a shopping cart was found hanging in the British Museum. Other stunts that have been done by Banksy include painting images on the Palestinian side of the Israeli West Bank Barrier. Another stunt pulled by Banksy is when he substituted amended versions of Paris Hilton's CD at several record stores. As a result, these CDs have become highly collectible. Despite all of Banksy's media attention, the true identity of Banksy still remains the cause of much debate.







http://www.artrepublic.com/biographies/8-banksy.html