Banksy

Banksy is an English street artist whose identity remains unconfirmed, however, he is arguably one of the most famous artists in his trade. Banksy began making art at 14 and was expelled from school in his hometown in Easton, Bristol, United Kingdom. He is known for his stencil graffiti that is often somehow worked into the cityscape. There are many theories regarding who banksy actually is but it is crucial that his identity remains unknown to the public because graffiti is illegal. The range of Banksy's subject matter is so wide that it wouldn't really fit a genre, however, much of his work centers around a general commentary on the law and social norms. There is an undeniable truth to his work often conveyed through harsh but sometimes humorous depictions of reality.

A recent controversy surrounding Banksy arose on October 2nd, 2018, at Sotheby's art auction in New York. A piece of his titled Girl With Balloon was sold for $1.4 million. Soon after, the painting self-destructed, as Banksy had implanted a shredder in the frame. The mechanism malfunctioned and only shredded the painting half way but the dramatic effect was still there. I think this is an interesting statement on the value we put on love and how fragile and based on nothing our concept of value really is. He also pissed a lot of stupidly wealthy people which is always a good time.