For someone who shuns the limelight so completely that he conceals his name, never shows his face and gives interviews only by email, Banksy is remarkably famous. From his beginnings as a Bristol graffiti artist, his artwork is now sold at auction for six-figure sums and hangs on celebrities’ walls. The appearance of a new Banksy is national news, his documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop was Oscar-nominated and people queue for hours to see his latest exhibition. Now more National Treasure than edgy outsider, who is Banksy and how did he become what he is today? In the first attempt to tell the full story of Banksy’s life and career, Will Ellsworth-Jones pieces together a picture of his world and unpicks its contradictions. Whether art or vandalism, anti-establishment or sell-out, Banksy and his work have become a cultural phenomenon and the question ‘Who is Banksy?’ is as much about his career as it is ‘the man behind the wall’. 'Britain's unlikeliest national treasure' Independent ‘A fascinating portrait that elicits admiration for a man who, despite his increasingly unconvincing efforts to retain some shred of his vandal status, has had an undeniable impact on art’ The Times

There's more to Banksy than the painting on the wall: the first in-depth investigation into the mysteries of the world's most famous living artist. Banksy is the world's most famous living artist, yet no one knows who he is. For more than twenty years, his wryly political and darkly humorous spray paintings have appeared mysteriously on urban walls around the globe, generating headlines and controversy. Art critics disdain him, but the public (and the art market) love him. With this generously illustrated book, artist and critic Carol Diehl is the first author to probe the depths of the Banksy mystery. Through her exploration of his paintings, installations, writings, and Academy Award-nominated film, Exit through the Gift Shop, Diehl proves unequivocally that there's more to Banksy than the painting on the wall. Seeing Banksy as the ultimate provocateur, Diehl investigates the dramas that unfold after his works are discovered, with all of their social, economic, and political implications. She reveals how this trickster rattles the system, whether during his month-long 2013 self-styled New York "residency" or his notorious Dismaland of 2015, a full-scale dystopian "family theme park unsuitable for children" dedicated to the failure of capitalism. Banksy's work, Diehl shows, is a synthesis of conceptual art, social commentary, and political protest, played out not in museums but where it can have the most effect--on the street, in the real world. The questions Banksy raises about the uses of public and private property, the role of the global corporatocracy, the never-ending wars, and the gap between artworks as luxury goods and as vehicles of social expression, have never been more relevant.

The first incendiary collection of stencils and graffiti from Banksy, presented and bound in a handy pocket sized high quality format. Rarely have art and politics been put to such fine, and overtly public, use. Mix the irony and juxtaposition of John Yates with the beauty of the finest aerosol art, and you'll have some idea of how good this really is. The reproductions are interspersed with an excellent array of quotes, statements, letters and a beginners guide to painting with stencils. Very, very good.

A clever, quirky biography of a leading contemporary artist, for children Banksy is a world-famous graffiti artist who secretly spray paints pictures on streets and walls while no one is watching! His works are often about politics, war, and other important things, but he also likes to paint rats. Rats scurry around and hide, often creating a bit of a stir, just like he does! Millions of people know his work but no one really knows who Bansky is -- his true identity is a secret. Fausto Gilberti brings life, intrigue, and whimsy to the mysterious story of one of the most important contemporary artists of our time. Ages 4-7

Who is Banksy? One of the most famous street artists, he has managed to keep his identity a secret ever since his work first got noticed in the 1990s. He is known for his subversive stencil art that is often political and has a dark sense of humour. Today, he is world-famous, not only for his art, but also for his exhibitions, film work and books. Find out all there is to know about the man behind the pseudonym: what we know about Banksy's childhood, what inspires him and how he went from local graffiti artist to global fame. Have a go at the Banksy quiz and find out about his most famous artworks and stunts. A fantastic resources for biography based project work; full glossary and index included. Each title in the Real-life Stories series looks at a celebrity who is at the top of their game and the height of their career. We take a look at how they got to where they are today, what their daily life is like and where they are going next.

Graffiti artist Banksy decorates streets, walls, bridges and zoos of towns and cities throughout the world. His identity remains unknown but his work is witty, subversive and prolific. And now, he's put together the best of his work in a fully illustrated colour volume.

Banksyisms. The Wit, Wisdom and Inspiration of An Art Outlaw is an in-depth look at his inspirational and witty commentary, complemented by images of his most iconic work. Featuring observations and insight, vibrantly illustrated with photography it also includes a timeline spanning his full career to date. From self-help to help-yourself all the way to just plain old, help! If you've been crying yourself to sleep over your failings as a rat athlete in the rat olympics of late-capitalist life then take comfort. This book is for you. Features his very latest work and includes: Nottingham Hula Hoop Girl, Bristol Valentines' Day, Turf War Exhibition, Girl With Balloon, Birmingham Reindeer Bench, London Extinction Rebellion, Calais Steve Jobs, Devolved Parliament, New York You Loot We Shoot. Spanning Gaza, London, Bristol, New York, LA and Paris among many many more.

In this fully revised and richly illustrated edition, author and journalist Will Ellsworth-Jones pieces together a complete picture of the life and work of Banksy, perhaps the most iconic, enigmatic and controversial artist of modern times. For someone who shuns the limelight so completely that he conceals his name, never shows his face and gives interviews only by email, Banksy is remarkably famous. This fully updated and illustrated story of Banksy’s life and career builds an intriguing picture of his world and unpicks its contradictions. Whether art or vandalism, anti-establishment or sell-out, Banksy and his work have become a cultural phenomenon and the question ‘Who is Banksy?’ is as much about his career as it is ‘the man behind the wall’. From his beginnings as a Bristol graffiti artist, his artwork is now sold at auction for seven-figure sums and hangs on celebrities’ walls. The appearance of a new Banksy is national news, his documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop was Oscar-nominated and people queue for hours to see his latest exhibition. Now moreNational Treasure than edgy outsider, who is Banksy and how did he become what he is today? This book charts Banksy's journey from the graffiti-scrawled streets of Barton Hill, the working class neighbourhood of Bristol where he and others covered the walls with vibrant pieces while trying to avoid the police, through to some of the most prestigious galleries of the world, where his daring acts of guerilla art have forced us to reconsider how we define as art. From the artist's own words to recollections of friends and colleagues, this book also examines the contradictions of Banksy's life: charting how a privately educated boy from a middle class area of Bristol reinvented himself as a rogue and an outlaw who would take the art world by storm. With beautiful reproductions of some of his most controversial and recognisable works, this detailed study is a truly indispensible guide to understanding the ultimate art rebel whose work is no less relevant today than it was when he first started out some thirty years ago.

This book explores how copyright laws are perceived within street art and graffiti subcultures to examine how artists and writers view certain creative aspects of their own practice. Drawing on ethnographic research and fieldwork, the book gives voice to the main actors of these communities and highlights their feelings and opinions toward issues that are increasingly impacting their everyday life and work. It also touches on related and complementary issues, such as the 'gallerisation' or economic exploitation of these forms of art and the curious similarities between the graffiti and advertising worlds. Unique and comprehensive, Copyright on the Street brings the 'voice from the street' into the debate over the legal and non-legal protection of street art and graffiti.