Underground art
Banksy comes from a humbler background. He began producing street art in the 1990s, as part of the underground art movement of the city of Bristol. ‘Underground’ art is the opposite of mainstream art. It is critical of the status quo and wants to break with tradition. It is often revolutionary. Banksy’s main art form is itself unusual: a street artist does not paint on canvas or create his works in a studio, but rather he draws and paints directly on city walls. Street art becomes part of the city environment. Over the years, Banksy’s art has appeared on city walls around the world. He has become very famous and appreciated, and his works are sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds. Yet, Banksy seems to have stayed true to his underground origins, uninterested in fame or in making money. For example, a few years ago, on his website he gave away images of his works for free, encouraging ‘buyers’ to print them out “using the company printer ink when everyone else is at lunch.”Banksy’s style
Banksy is popular because his art makes interesting political or social statements. He is against violence, as shown in his iconic painting of a rioter throwing a bunch of flowers instead of a bomb (Rage, Flower Thrower). His art is often critical of greed and consumerism, as shown in a picture of a girl falling off a building holding a trolley (Shop Until You Drop). He said: “I want to show that money hasn’t crushed the humanity out of everything.” His art often contains an element of humour. Some are clever, yet meaningful jokes. For example, on a wall of the Brooklyn Museum he managed to place a fake painting of a 17th century military officer holding a spray paint can, with anti-war graffiti in the background. Banksy is considered the world’s most famous street artist, and one of Britain’s greatest contemporary artists. Despite being such a famous man, his identity is secret. Banksy is a pseudonym and only his closest friends know his real name.Art or vandalism?
Back in 2003 not even his parents knew what he did. In an interview he said: “They think I’m a painter and decorator.” The reason for his secrecy is because drawing on public walls is usually illegal, and street art is considered vandalism. A street artist could be arrested and his art removed. London’s Westminster Council even removed works by Banksy saying that “Banksy has no more right to paint graffiti than a child”, and that “if we condone this then we might as well say that any kid with a spray can is producing art.” The council has a point: not any scribble on a wall can be considered art. Yet, this is probably what makes Banksy special: his acts of vandalism can be called art because they do what art does best: they offer a new, deep, subversive look at reality.
Useful links
1) Look at the video showing the shredding of Girl with Balloon:
https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/banksy-video-girl-with-balloon/index.html
2) Look at Banksy’s own video about the event:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxkwRNIZgdY
3) Check out some of Banksy’s works on his official website:
http://banksy.co.uk/
4) Learn more about Banksy here:
https://wiki.kidzsearch.com/wiki/Banksy
5) Read about street art and look at the gallery (and ask yourself: is all of it art?):
https://kids.kiddle.co/Graffiti
6) How about street art in school? Check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXYvm9RNCok
COMPREHENSION
1) Read the article and complete the sentences with the right alternative.
1. Balloon Girl was shredded
(Carlo Dellonte)
(Image credits: niki81, flickr)
- before it was sold.
- by Sotheby’s.
- at Sotheby’s.
- so it would be worth more money.
- to make a statement.
- to create art live during an auction.
- critical of tradition.
- A street artist works
- in a studio.
- indoors.
- outdoors.
- in a studio.
- a bouquet.
- an icon.
- a bomb.
- money.
- violence.
- consumerism.
- funny.
- serious.
- meaningless.
- he doesn’t want to tell his parents what he does.
- he risks going to prison.
- he doesn’t like being famous.
- always illegal.
- often illegal.
- legal.
- behaves like a child.
- should be treated like a child drawing graffiti.
- should be condoned for his graffiti.

