Some Background To The Art and The Artist

"Banks" is without doubt the UK's most notorious graffiti artist. To this day, he remains anonymous, and likely the main reason for him to hide behind a veil of secrecy is that it reinforces the hype surrounding his art.

Many people have their theories about who Banks may be, and some people speculate that he is not a human at all, but rather that he is a "collective" of artists working in tandem. The lure of Banks knows no boundaries and this was illustrated recently when he was reported to have thrown a pizza box in the trash while he was in Los Angeles, USA. Reports suggested that the box was placed on eBay and the seller claimed that a pair of discarded anchovy in the box to give traces of Pansy’s DNA. Absolutely crazy.

What he is or represents, Banksy continues to "inherit" the modern art world. He is well trained to leave false trails and red herrings, although his agent has claimed that he was not quite sure of the true identity of his client.

The British newspaper The Daily Mail, celebrated his gloom and doom has campaigned tirelessly over the last few years to reveal the identity of Banks. Such has been the Daily Mail's determination you could be led to believe that they were on a sort of crusade. The "exclusively" revealed some time ago that Pansy’s real name is "Robin Gunning ham" and is in the mid-30's. According to the Mail, he was educated at Bristol Cathedral School, which sits at the bottom of Park Street. By a coincidence, maybe this school is located diagonally opposite one of his most famous graffiti works, namely a man hanging outside a bedroom window as his mistress man returns home and peers through the window in an attempt to capture him.

Banks prints reflect the art of Banks and show humor and irony in his works. He is known to taunt authorities such as government and police forces and standing hoodwinks the public by staging publicity stunts. For example, when he smuggled a blow-up caricature of a Guantanamo Bay prisoner in Disneyland.

His first film "Exit Through the Gift Shop" recently premiered, and tells the story of a shopkeeper who takes it on himself to make a documentary in an attempt to trace and friends with his hero "Banks". But the graffiti artist instead turns the camera artfully back to the merchant. In essence, it encapsulates what Banks is about. He did not openly criticize or condemn, but rather he holds a mirror up to society - and give society a chance to look at them from a new perspective.

Banks canvas prints can be purchased from a variety of sources these days, and it is now possible to add a touch of Banks humor and wit in your personal room. Improvements in screen printing process (dye sublimation process is considered better than inkjet or "gale" method for printing) means that you now can get you a high quality Banks print for a very affordable price.