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Blek le Rat: The New Banksy?
Digital, Graphic Design, Music Video / Film
Posted by Mark Sinclair, 17 April 2008, 14:53 Permalink Comments (11)
Ha – only joking. While Banksy is a relative newcomer to the graffiti scene, Blek le Rat has been stencilling, pasting and daubing his way around the world for nearly thirty years. But the perception of Banksy as the pioneer of street art is certainly the one favoured by the media and the art world. As a result, Banksy's artistic reputation – no doubt helped by his anonymity – has been elevated to near mythical status. While Blek's reputation, at least beyond the world of street art, is far less well known, a new book of his work looks certain to bring his art to a wider audience and throw up a few more questions on just how influential he's been.
Apparently, when Blek was pasting up an image in a London street last year, he was asked by an inquisitive passerby: “are you Banksy?” Such is the notable similarity between the two graffiti artist’s work. But Blek, a Frenchman, has been working on ironic self-portraits, stencilled socio-political commentary and, interestingly – rats – since 1981.
In Blek le Rat (published by Thames & Hudson) Sybille Prou – who is also Mrs Blek le Rat – and filmmaker King Adz have done a fine job in bringing Blek’s story across, collecting together a range of images of his iconic street art.
Coincidentally, Banksy’s very first “unofficial biography” is also published next month. And here, the reference to Blek’s potential influence is brief, but nonetheless revealing: “Every time I think I’ve painted something original, I find out that Blek le Rat has done it as well, only twenty years earlier.”
We suggest checking out Blek’s book for some of those original ideas.
Blek le Rat is published by Thames & Hudson on May 12 (£11.95). A Blek le Rat exhibition also opens at the Thru Cargo Garden, Arch 461, 83 Rivington Street, London on May 9.
Banksy’s Bristol: Home Sweet Home by Steve Wright is published by Tangent Books (£12).
11 Comments
no no no no the 'new' banksy (shit journalism that by the way) is blu
http://www.blublu.org/sito/walls/2007/big/033.jpg
http://www.blublu.org/sito/walls/2007/big/029.jpg
http://www.blublu.org/sito/walls/2007/big/021.jpg
etc.. his entire portfolio
2008-04-18 11:06:59
Did you read the article or just the title?
I think he was being ironic.
(Shit punctuation and capitalisation by the way)
2008-04-18 11:29:52
oh its was ironic. how drole.
(shit fake name by the way Mark)
2008-04-18 12:12:58
How can it be new if it's similar to Bansky?
2008-04-18 12:20:44
You can't compare Banksy to Blu, it's 2 totally different languages..
There's a lot of people who have been doing this stuff for a long time, using similar techniques and making similar comments on our social-political state. A lot of real good work still gets regionalized (in a historical sense and by todays media mechanics.). It's not some competition, who's cool, who's best. It's not about being new, or who's right who's wrong. It's about freedom of communication, the ability to express it without copying or stealing and trying to open some ordinary peoples eyes and thoughts. (graphic design?... that's another story...)
2008-04-18 12:41:01
As much as I don't want to get into a childish and pointless on-line argument with you, Rich, your insolence and ignorance abounds and as such is difficult to ignore.
I simply pointed out your failure to read the article's content. Clearly you still haven't. The title refers to the media's preoccupation with Bansky despite him not being the originator or only promulgator of this art form.
Matt
2008-04-18 13:52:56
look, clearly your [deleted by moderator], but whatever. i dont understand anything in your above post so its probably best to let it go. lets be lovers not enemies. my punctuation may be terrible but my adjectives tend to be above par.
2008-04-18 14:44:59
Blog rage.
2008-04-18 15:53:45
Blek nor Blu are particularly interesting. They are boring works. Creative yes, and technically well crafted, ever worth noting - just boring. What made, and makes, Banksy unique is the layers of message in his works. Plus their are funny! Banksy is the Robin Williams of his artform (or at least Eddie Izard!)
2011-02-06 05:14:12
the 'NEW' banksy... wtf?!?! blek le rat was around way before banks...
2011-03-22 16:07:00
Hey my friend and i were having a conversation just now and banksy came into it, im all for banksys work but my friend isnt so inpressed he told me about blek le rat and how he see banksy as a rip off artist.. first id hurd of him so hear i am lookin into it out of intrest! never new till now and im a new foud follower of bleks work :)
2011-08-15 19:46:24
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