BANKSY

One of Banksy’s most famous works on the West Bank wall in Jerusalem

Banksy first started gathering fame as a ballsy graffiti artist associated with the DryBreadZ Crew (BDZ) in the Bristol underground scene around 1990. Recently, he is considered by many to be a political activist because of his subtle (and not so subtle) attacks on various governments around the world. Banksy has been known to go to extreme lengths to get his messages heard through his “Vandalism.” One of his more daring feats includes going to Disneyland, placing a stuffed dummy with an orange jumpsuit on, a black bag over its head, and its hands and feet manacled just outside of the Rocky Mountain Railroad ride. This was done as a protest against the mistreatment of thousands of prisoners being held by the American Government in Guantanamo Bay.

As Banksy’s popularity began to grow, so did his bank account. Banksy’s first gallery opening took place in Los Angeles at 33 1/3 Gallery on June 19th of 2002 titled, “Existencilism.” The gallery, although at a small venue, was a huge success. Shortly after entering the mainstream art world, Banksy work caught the eye of several A-list celebrities, most notably, Christina Aguilera and Kate Moss. After taking some heat from the Graffitti artist community, who was apparently disgruntled with the new audience Banksy was starting to attract, Banksy decided to take his talents to the big screen.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

In his directorial debut, Banksy premiered his documentary, “Exit Through the Gift Shop” at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on January 24th of 2010. The documentary created a fury of speculation as to the authenticity of various characters that were being filmed, however the majority has labeled the film a hoax, or simply another one of Banksy’s clever pranks on society. The Academy Awards selection committee nominated the film for best Documentary on January of 2011, eventually losing to Inside Job. Although there has been numerous rumors and claims on Banksy’s identity, he is still widely considered an unknown artist.