The Banksy Articles

Banksy is the phenomenon that keeps giving. Almost guaranteed to raise a wry smile every time his latest piece hits the papers. He is, by some way, the worlds most famous street artist. We’ve written a number of features covering the work of Banksy and yes, of course, we’ve also indulged in some idle speculation. But then who hasn’t? Here are some of the articles we’ve written over the years featuring Banksy.

Piece reflecting on the vote to leave the EU in Dover
Banksy Art covered in perspex on an old raised bridge in Hull
Banksy’s snorting policeman restored and put on display in Shoreditch

Artists Similar to Banksy

Guessing that an artwork might be a Banksy or using Banksy as a comparator to describe other street artists can be a favourite pastime of journalists. We compared some of the best, and worst, comparisons that we could find on the web.

Who is the New Banksy? 10 artists who have been compared to the World’s most famous street artist

Who is Banksy?

Of course we have indulged in our own idle speculation about who Banksy might be. Just a little bit of fun of course and the truth is that we have absolutely no real idea. This article looks a number of options for who the elusive artist might really be.

Who is Banksy? Six theories for who the infamous street artist really is

Banksy’s Drinker becomes the Stinker

One of Banksy’s sculpture’s formerly entitled ‘The Drinker’ was stolen from it’s location by the artist AK47. It was then returned complete with amendments and re-named ‘The Stinker’. This is the story of how a piece of Banksy’s art took on a whole new lease of life.

Banksy Drinker Statue becomes the Stinker as it’s returned to Shaftesbury Avenue

The Snorting Copper

Banksy’s famous snorting copper once adorned the wall of a public convenience in Shoreditch. Over the years it then got painted over and then finally restored back to it’s old glory. Now you can see it back in Shoreditch and within it’s original location. Only problem is that now it’s part of a fancy building and it’s behind a pane of glass.

Banksy’s Snorting Copper is rediscovered and put on display in Shoreditch

Banksy and Basquiat at the Barbican

A new mural appeared just around the corner from the Barbican to co-incide with the launch of the Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition in the City of London. A kind of retrospective collaboration it’s location raised eyebrows as the city had been well known for a notoriously tough graffiti removal policy.

Banksy tribute mural to Jean-Michel Basquiat appears at the Barbican in London

Banksy and the EU

Following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, Banksy showed just what he thought of that decision with a mural in Dover. One of his largest pieces, it covers a whole gable end and depicts a workman chipping away at one of the stars.

The Banksy mural in Dover and where to find it

Another piece thought to reference the vote to leave the EU was created in Hull. On the side of an old raised bridge it caught the public imagination in the city. A place which voted fairly heavily to leave, the ‘draw the raised bridge’ analogy has been thought to refer to the that.

Banksy street art appears on the Scott Street Bridge in Hull

Banksy Exhibition at the Lazinc Gallery

A recent exhibition at the newly opened Lazinc Gallery in Mayfair showcased works created by Banksy from 2002 to 2008. Some of them hadn’t been seen for years having previously been shown across a variety of other exhibitions. Steve Lazarides, the owner of the gallery, used to be Banksy’s manager. The timescales therefore co-incide with this time.

Banksy exhibition at the Lazinc Gallery in London features his Greatest Hits from 2002-2008

Banksy in Palestine

Banksy’s work is often political. Often there will be a meaning behind the works he produces and these can either be overt or obscure. One of his major causes is that of the Palestinians. In particular the partitioning of Palestinian land in the West Bank and Gaza from the rest of Israel. His Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem overlooks the wall and boasts the “worst view in the world”.

Banksy’s Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem

The Graffiti of the West Bank Barrier in Bethlehem

An Interview with Wisam Salsaa the Manager of the Walled Off Hotel

Extinction Rebellion

A Banksy mural appeared on the side of the Marble Arch in London. This was on the back of the Extinction Rebellion protests which took place across the city in April 2019.