BANKSY II / RATS

BANKSY´S RATS

Hello again friends of the WOX community and graffiti lovers.

Rats are one of Banksy's most iconic motifs but... why does Banksy paint rats?

It is believed that Banksy said that he likes rats because they are everywhere, both in the depths and in the heights of the city. They can represent both the speculative and capitalist class, as well as the most oppressed of the people.

Banksy still uses stencils in these drawings, in fact he started using stencils at a very young age because he couldn't get the drawings right.

.This graffiti bears the phrase "If graffiti would change anything it should be illegal", done in April 2011 in Clipstone Street, London.

It refers to the phrase of 20th century political activist Emma Goldman, who campaigned for women's rights and said "If voting would change anything it would be illegal".

The original mural deteriorated badly although it was protected with a layer of plexiglass.

Eventually, the graffiti section of the wall was removed by a demolition company and the building itself demolished in 2020.

. 1968 marks the 50th anniversary of May '68 in Paris, when students and syndicalists took to the streets to protest against capitalism and class society.

. Image of a projection at the museum showing graffiti near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Banksy confirmed his authorship.

. And this is an image taken from the internet .During the Pandemic of 2020 where like many others, Banksy had to work from home. The artist's bathroom was invaded by his famous rodents.

. Video where Banksy painted rats in the London Underground.

All the images, except the one of the bathroom, were taken with a Fuji XT-2 camera during the visit to Banksy's exhibition in Barcelona.

Greetings,

Silvia