Digital Media Concepts/Banksy

Banksy (born around 1974) is an anonymous British artist[1], most famous for his street artwork[2] and social commentaries[3]. Banksy’s reoccurring topics involve his insights into various political matters, and generally highlight a wide array of critiques on modern-day society. After spending some time painting street graffiti, Banksy began to shift his focus onto painting stencil-work[4] throughout his hometown near Bristol[5] (a city located in South-West England[6]) to progress his infamous art-style[7] that is recognized by many today. Utilizing paint-and-stencil techniques, Banksy’s artwork frequently interacts with the environment it is placed in, allowing for a unique method of presentation for the 2-D illustrations.

Banksy's identity remains anonymous

The Legacy

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An example of artwork

Banksy's first art-show, Existencilism[8] (2002), opened in Los Angeles[9] at the 33 1/3 Gallery[10].

The following years were filled with a motley of Banksy art exhibitions covering several topics and oddities, one of which included an art exhibition titled Turf War[11] (2003). Turf war caught media attention[12] due to an animal-rights activist who chained herself to a nearby railing structure in response to the display of painted animals at the art show.

Disregarding the obstacles in presenting his exhibitions, Banksy's first big break occured when American singer and songwriter Christina Aguilera[13] bought an original copy and two prints of Banksy's "Queen Victoria Lesbian[14]" art piece, which sold for $32,603.63 USD[15]. From this publicity and funding, Banksy was able to continue to sell many valued pieces shortly after the singer's notable purchase. One particularly successful painting involved an illustration of Kate Moss[16], and sold for over five times the auction's expected value.

Through his series of art-shows, Banksy is accredited with single-handedly creating mainstream interest into street-art and the stenciling art style. This widespread global influence began cultivating around 2006, and is dubbed as The Banksy Effect[17] (a term used to describe the sudden shift of public appeal towards street-art). Made during the height of the his era, several of Banksy's artwork is also featured in the 2006 film, Children of Men[18] (based on the novel[19] published in 1992).

Banksy found consistent success throughout his career, especially after producing his noteworthy motion picture, Exit Through the Gift Shop[20] (2010). After gaining traction, this film then went on to be nominated for the 2010 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature[21]. Although the film did not win the nomination, it was approved to air on British public television on August 13, 2011.

One of Banksy's largest artistic installations was a project entitled Dismaland[22] (opened August 21, 2015), which featured a "demusement-park" setting based on a parody of Walt Disney's Disneyland. Officially closed on September 27, 2015, Dismaland's park attracted a total of over 150,000 paying visitors[23] by the end of it's week-long premiere.

Banksy has solidified his place in history as one of the most prominent artists of the 21st century, and has created a legacy out of clever witticisms and multimedia images.

Awards and Nominations

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18th Annual Webby Person-of-the-year Award[24]

2010 WAFCA Award[25]

2010 ICP Award[26]

2010 LAFCA 2nd Place[27]

2010 CFCA nominee[28]

2011 Cinema Eye Honors Award [29]

2011 TFCA Award[30]

2011 Independent Spirit Award[31]

2011 Chlotrudis Award nominee[32]

2011 International Jury Award nominee[33]

2011 Oscar Best Documentary Feature nominee[34]

2011 Critics Choice Award nominee[35]

2011 BAFTA nominee[35]

References

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  1. http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/05/16/artist-banksy-wins-webby-person-of-the-year-award/
  2. http://banksy.co.uk/
  3. http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/banksy%E2%80%99s-10-most-powerful-works-social-commentary
  4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stencil_graffiti
  5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_West_England
  7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Style_(visual_arts)
  8. http://www.leandroiriarte.com/banksy.php
  9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles
  10. http://www.experiencela.com/destinations/1605
  11. http://www.artofthestate.co.uk/Banksy/Banksy_Turf_War_Photos_001.htm
  12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3084053.stm
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Aguilera
  14. http://www.stencilrevolution.com/banksy-art-prints/queen-victoria-lesbian/
  15. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/aguilera-invests-16325000-in-banksy-6104457.html
  16. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/artsales/4698129/Marilyn-Monroe-style-Banksy-portraits-of-Kate-Moss-for-sale.html
  17. http://www.academia.edu/10332415/_The_Banksy_Effect_The_Rise_of_Street_Art_in_Contemporary_Visual_Culture
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Men
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Children_of_Men
  20. http://www.banksyfilm.com/
  21. http://www.nme.com/filmandtv/news/banksy-welcomes-oscar-nomination-for-exit-through/203819
  22. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dismaland
  23. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-34330108
  24. http://webbyawards.com/winners/2014/special-achievement/special-achievement/webby-person-of-the-year/banksy/
  25. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2612991/awards
  26. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2612991/awards
  27. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2612991/awards
  28. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2612991/awards
  29. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2612991/awards
  30. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2612991/awards
  31. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2612991/awards
  32. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2612991/awards
  33. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2612991/awards
  34. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2612991/awards
  35. 35.0 35.1 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2612991/awards