Artist 20: Banksy

Utilizing a combination of stencils, spraypaint, and paintbrushes, contemporary street artist Banksy creates satirical and political artwork in public on private property. The street is not his only domain, however. According to his website, he also creates many of his works in traditional formats to be placed inside. His identity is formally anonymous, but his base-location has been identified as the UK. His art may be vaguely characterized as mostly figural work which reveals inconsistencies or problems with contemporary global society in humorous or exaggerated ways. While this is a trend with many of his works, there are exceptions. Some of his pieces are simply for fun. Others are more serious.

I find Banksy's work to be inspirational primarily because his art is dedicated to its content and purpose. His street work, while documented by film and photo, cannot be sold. It exists only to be seen by the public and elicit a reaction. Due to the satirical nature of his works, the reaction they often elicit forces the viewer to consider recent political events or lifestyles in a new perspective. To this extent, Banksy's dedication to content and message over profit is truly inspirational.