British graffiti artist Banksy has gained fame for his artwork's poignant portrays of post-modern existence, and the mystery of his identity has only added to his mysterious reputation. There have been newspaper articles proclaiming to reveal Banksy's true identity, but Banksy himself and no one connected with him have yet to agree with those articles' conclusions.
It's quite amazing that someone so well known, his art being bought even by Hollywood's elite, can go without a public face for so long.
He's even written five books, yet no one knows for sure who Banksy is. Let's take a look at his books.
Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall (2001)
This is basically an art book of Banksy's better-known works up to 2001, but it also includes more than that. There are letters, quotes, political statements, and even a section with tips and information on becoming a graffiti stencil artist yourself.Existencilism (2002)
This is Banksy's second art book, and it's quite similar to Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall in terms of its overall layout and goals. There's more work to be found of the famous faceless artist, but there are also plenty of humorous and also important quotes, e-mails, letters, etc.Cut it Out (2004)
This book rounds out the "black covers" trilogy of Banksy's books. Here are some of the more famous of Banksy's works, at least up to 2004. And, again, there are plenty of extra notes, some that will make you laugh and some that might make you cry.Wall and Piece (2005)
This book collections the earlier three art books and brings them all together in one nice package. To quote one Amazon review of this book "His message: that if the powerful and wealthy get to force-feed consumerist propaganda to citizens via giant billboards... then citizens have the right to reply in kind." Amazing stuff.Pictures of Walls (2005)
This art book is a little different than Banksy's others. For one thing, it doesn't contain very much at all of his own work. Instead, here are interesting images of graffiti Banksy has found in his travels throughout the world. Much of the art found here is from amateurs, but that doesn't mean it is without merit, as Banksy shows.Related works
There have also been two books written about Banksy. Banksy Locations and Tours: A Collection of Graffiti Locations and Photographs in London, by Martin Bull, is a visual tour of London graffiti artwork, mainly the work of Banksy. Banksy's Bristol: Home Sweet Home, by Steve Wright, includes interviews with people who worked with Banksy during the artist's early days in Bristol, and this book also contains lots of Banksy's early artworks.
Banksy links
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