Famous and Creative Thinkers 
Famous Creative Thinkers
PHL/458 Creative Minds and Critical Thinking
June 23, 2015
BANKSY
Banksy is the name he goes by, but his art speaks for itself. This urban street graffiti artist/painter turned political activist and director, has taken is the world by storm with his outspoken commentary on society through his art. When Time magazine selected the British artist Banksy—graffiti master, painter, activist, filmmaker and all-purpose provocateur—for its list of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2010, using his stencil art to transform the backdrop of numerous urban corners (Rahm, 2013). Today, he has bombed cities from Vienna to San Francisco, Barcelona to Paris and Detroit. And he has moved from graffiti on gritty urban walls to paint on canvas, conceptual sculpture and even film, with the guileful documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, which was nominated for an Academy Award.
His art seeks to solve the problem of ignorance to the injustices in the world. Through his art, he provides the observer the ticket to an alternative option where the current state they are living in is not the social norm. For example, on the Gaza strip, a war torn area, he paints the picture of children playing on a swing (Banksy Bio). This particular type of depiction is one that exudes joy, glee and innocence in a place torn by violence and poverty. He wants the art world to open up from an elite experience to a relatable new social action for the young and oppressed (Ellsworth-Jones, 2013).
Where does his art start? He believes in the power of his stencil. He knows right when he has cut it the message it will convey: its power. Always in disguise, Banksy brought his own brand of prankster performance art to major museums, including the Louvre (Banksy Bio). There, he succeeded in installing an image of the Mona Lisa plastered with a smiley-face sticker. In New York City, he surreptitiously attached a small portrait of
PHL/458 Creative Minds and Critical Thinking
June 23, 2015
BANKSY
Banksy is the name he goes by, but his art speaks for itself. This urban street graffiti artist/painter turned political activist and director, has taken is the world by storm with his outspoken commentary on society through his art. When Time magazine selected the British artist Banksy—graffiti master, painter, activist, filmmaker and all-purpose provocateur—for its list of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2010, using his stencil art to transform the backdrop of numerous urban corners (Rahm, 2013). Today, he has bombed cities from Vienna to San Francisco, Barcelona to Paris and Detroit. And he has moved from graffiti on gritty urban walls to paint on canvas, conceptual sculpture and even film, with the guileful documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, which was nominated for an Academy Award.
His art seeks to solve the problem of ignorance to the injustices in the world. Through his art, he provides the observer the ticket to an alternative option where the current state they are living in is not the social norm. For example, on the Gaza strip, a war torn area, he paints the picture of children playing on a swing (Banksy Bio). This particular type of depiction is one that exudes joy, glee and innocence in a place torn by violence and poverty. He wants the art world to open up from an elite experience to a relatable new social action for the young and oppressed (Ellsworth-Jones, 2013).
Where does his art start? He believes in the power of his stencil. He knows right when he has cut it the message it will convey: its power. Always in disguise, Banksy brought his own brand of prankster performance art to major museums, including the Louvre (Banksy Bio). There, he succeeded in installing an image of the Mona Lisa plastered with a smiley-face sticker. In New York City, he surreptitiously attached a small portrait of
References: Banksy Bio. (n.d.). Retrieved 06 27, 2015, from Biography: http://www.biography.com/people/banksy-20883111 Cacioppe, J. (n.d.). Who is Ken Wilber. Retrieved 06 26, 2015, from intergral life: http://www.intergalife.com/contributors/ken-wilber Ellsworth-Jones, W. (2013, 02). The Story Behind Banksy. Retrieved 06 27, 2015, from Smithsonian: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-story-behind- banksy-4310304 Rahm, D. (2013, 10 22). Banksy. Retrieved 06 27, 2015, from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/DanielleRahm/2013/10/22/Banksy