Showing posts with label banksy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label banksy. Show all posts

Banksy Tattoos Combine Graffiti with Body Art

Banksy is a British artist who is infamous for his striking graffiti artworks. His graffiti often has a deeper meaning, expressing Banksy's socio-political views in a powerfully public medium; street art. Banksy graffiti has become so popular that it is now a popular subject in tattoo designs.

Banksy's Girl with Butterflies Tattoo
One of Banksy's most popular graffiti art works is the image of a young girl in a dress holding a gun to her head. A swarm of butterflies is scattered across the design as though they have exploded from the girl's head. Banksy uses stencils to create his street art, which gives his images clarity and a strong silhouette. These design aspects translate well into tattoo designs; giving the tattoo an instant appeal.


Above: The red butterflies stand in stark contrast to the solid black areas used to create the girl. Like all of Banksy's graffiti designs, the girl blowing butterflies combines aspects of human nature such as hope, violence, beauty and death. [source]

Banksy's Girl with a Heart Balloon
Banksy often carries a theme through a series of images, expressing the same idea in a number of ways. Like Banksy's girl with butterflies graffiti piece, his girl with a heart balloon design incorporates aspects of humanity such as innocence, hope and loss.

Above: Another of Banksy's graffiti art works that uses black and red as the color scheme. The simplicity of the design and the innocent nature of the subject make Banksy's girl with a heart balloon a popular graffiti tattoo design choice. [source]

Banksy's Man throwing Flowers Tattoo
This Banksy graffiti piece of a man throwing flowers has become an internationally renowned art work. The stencilled graffiti shows a man with a scarf covering his mouth, poised to throw a bunch of flowers. Exposure to news networks means that the brain expects a man in this pose to be holding an object of violence such as a petrol bomb. Instead, Banksy has chosen to have the man throw a bunch of flowers - an object that is generally associated with peace and beauty.

Above: Banksy's powerful graffiti art work makes an equally powerful statement when tattooed onto skin. The large area of solid black ink adds drama to the graffiti tattoo while balancing out the detailed delicacy of the flowers. [source]

Tattoo of Banksy's Rat Painting a Heart
Rats are a recurring theme in Banksy's graffiti art. While most people view rats with disgust, Banksy has chosen to humanize rats by giving them human characteristics. In his popular graffiti piece of a rat painting a heart, Banksy has personified the rat by putting it in a human situation (showing it wielding a paintbrush), and insinuating that the rat has human emotions such as hope and yearning (expressed by the use of a heart as the subject matter of the rat's painting).

Above: The dark area on top of the rat's head is reminiscent of a beret, a hat that has often been worn by French bohemian artists. Whether this was intentional or not, the effect remains the same; adding yet more humanity to a creature that is often reviled by humans. [source]

Graffiti Tattoo of Banksy's Jesus Christ Christmas Shopping
Banksy's graffiti art works often comment on social, political or religious issues. By portraying Jesus Christ in the crucifixion pose holding shopping bags filled with Christmas presents, Banksy has highlighted the disassociation between religion and religious practices.

Above: Banksy's designs often seem both well thought out and spontaneous in their construction. In his graffiti art work of Jesus Christ Christmas shopping, the degradation of religion through materialism is expressed in the way that the design appears to be melting. This may have been a spontaneous addition to the design to drive the message home. [source]

With their strong lines and powerful meanings, Banksy's graffiti art works translate easily into tattoos designs. Banksy has done more than any other modern artist to inspire curiosity and criticism in the younger generation, and is the first graffiti artist to have won such international acclaim.


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He's Ba-ack! Hitler Reappears in Graffiti Art

Adolf Hitler was the failed leader of the German Nazi Political Party during World War 2. During the war, Hitler's forces killed millions of civilians including gypsies, homosexuals and Jews. After finally being defeated in 1945, Hitler and his wife, Eva Braun, committed suicide.



A Dubious Legacy

Hitler is remembered for the atrocities committed by the Nazi Party while it was under his reign. With his slick lock of black hair, piercing eyes and tiny mustache, Hitler is a recognizable figure. Though it has been more than half a century since his death, images of Hitler still appear in modern art, as he has become an easily recognizable symbol for evil.

Above: Graffiti dating back to WWII. This cartoon rendition of Adolf Hitler was found in a barn in East Yorkshire, England. During the war, the barn was used to house troops and it is thought that the painting was created by a soldier.


Above: A stencil graffiti piece depicting a young Adolf Hitler, found in Mexico. The dense black shadows used in this piece adds to the idea of evil that is attached to Adolf Hitler.



Above: A large street art sticker in Berlin, Germany, shows a desperate Hitler with a full bladder. The swastika emblem has been replaced with another symbol on his armband. Quite a number of these Hitler graffiti stickers have appeared in the area.


Above: An Italian stencil graffiti piece which shows Hitler shooting himself, surrounded by the words, "Facists and Nazis Follow Your Leader."


Above: This graffiti stencil in Bergen, Norway, shows Hitler as a waiter. A similar stencil was created by internationally renowned graffiti artist, Banksy, but the creator of the above piece is unknown.



Above: Banksy's graffiti artwork of Hitler as a waiter.


Above: This piece of Hitler Graffiti in Cardiff, England, combines an image of Adolf Hitler with the logo and slogan of the international fast food chain, Mcdonalds. 


Above: "It takes drastic measures" - a stenciled urban art piece found in Spain. Hitler is shown performing the Nazi Party salute, while a pair of unmanned scissors aims to cut off his hand and therefore disable Hitler.


Above: A Mexican artist's sense of humor finds its way into this stencil graffiti artwork. Hitler's hairstyle, with its side parting and long fringe, is reminiscent of the popular emo style that is being worn today.


Above: Is there any relation between the baby's black skin and Hitler views on Eugenics (race cleansing)?


Above: Quite a number of street artists have made connections between George W Bush and Adolf Hitler. In the above graffiti image, Bush doesn't have the trademark Hitler mustache, but two swastikas adorn the picture to insinuate that Bush's actions while president were similar to those of Adolf Hitler during his reign in Europe.


Above: It's not entirely clear if the artist wanted to create a comparison between Bush and Hitler or Bush and Charlie Chaplin, an actor during WWII who had a similar mustache. The piece is slightly whimsical, even pitiful. If it is meant to portray Bush as Hitler, the personality of the piece sets it apart from others in its category as it doesn't exhibit the same 'evil' factor as other Hitler graffiti works.


Above: An enormous graffiti sticker in the Netherlands shows a combination of Hitler and George Bush. Swastikas replace the stars on the American flag. More George Bush Graffiti Art


Above: Another Bush / Hitler hybrid image, similar to the one shown above. Bush Hitler is shown wearing a baseball cap with the Nazi SS logo emblazoned on it. The fearbush.com website is no longer available online.


Above: This train (unknown location) has been painted red and decorated with a swastika and the words, "Hitler Youth". The Nazi Youth Party Played a chilling role in the Second World War as children and teenagers were manipulated by mass propaganda to perform acts of violence.


This mid-20th Century Fuhrer and his actions have been memorialized in a number of different ways. Outside the building in Austria where Hitler was born is a stone engraved with the words, "For peace, freedom and democracy. Never again Fascism. Millions of dead remind us." Many books, movies and artworks have been created around Hitler's memory, and it seems that his image will continue to serve as a symbol of war and hate.

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Street Art goes Skin Deep with Graffiti Tattoos

Graffiti and Tattoos are art forms that have existed for centuries, as scrawls on the walls of Roman baths and tribal tattoos that mark coming-of-age ceremonies and personal achievements. It is only in the last few decades that street art and tattoos have taken on distinct style characteristics that set the apart from other art forms. Now these two rebellious genres have combined to produce graffiti tattoos.


Spraycan

The spraycan is a symbol of graffiti and street art, being the most common tool used by street artists. Its form is simple and its silhouette recognizable, even when morphed by the artist into a characterful artwork.

Above: This graffiti tattoo depicts both a spraycan and a gas mask (used by some graffiti artists to prevent the inhalation of paint fumes) 


Above: This graffiti piece uses a combination of geometric shapes and curves to create a visually interesting urban art-styled tattoo design. The colorful tattoo inks used in this piece, along with the repetition of recognizable shapes such as arrows, gives the tattoo a friendly appeal.



Cityscapes

Urban art is often inspired by the environment in which they are found - cities and transport routes. Using perspective to create visual interest, graffiti artists often incorporate city objects such as buildings, buses, trains and skylines.

Above: This tattoo shows a train bearing graffiti art. Trains are not only subject matter for graffiti artists; often they are also a challenging, illegal canvas for street artists to work upon. 


Above: This graffiti tattoo design combines the words, "New York" with a depiction of the famous city's skyline. The stars used in this artwork further add to the patriotic nature of this tattoo, as stars are a part of the American flag. More Patriotic New York Tattoos



Graffiti Lettering and Alphabets

Although there is no one distinct lettering style for graffiti, there is a variety of fonts that are popularly used by street artists. Graffiti alphabet designs are often warped, with key parts of the letter's anatomy exaggerated or decorated. Depth is created by giving the letters shadows and 3-D shapes.

Above: This graffiti font uses serif in some places, but not in others, proof that the artist is not bound by the rules of consistency usually applied to font design. The capitilized letters bend is if a force or pressure has been applied to them, a technique popularly used in graffiti lettering. The finished result is a graffiti tattoo that spells out the word, "faith".


Above: Some graffiti fonts are harder to read than others, which turns the artwork into a puzzle. The cryptic graffiti tattoos above are indecipherable.


Banksy Graffiti Tattoos

Working with stencil and spray paint, graffiti artist Banksy creates attractive, often controversial street artworks. His urban art mysteriously appears overnight, thrilling British graffiti art fans with both their content and message.

Above: Banksy's graffiti artwork of a girl shooting herself in the head, releasing a swarm of butterflies is tattooed on this girl's hip and belly. Banksy designs work well with the limitations of tattoo art, being clear and simple with elegant silhouettes. 

Above: A graffiti tattoo of the world famous Banksy design, of a man in a fighting pose, throwing a bunch of flowers. Banksy's graffiti art often shows startling contrasts between ideas, in this case, a symbol of love or peace combined with a man in a violent posture.


Above: Graffiti artist Banksy often uses rats as a subject in his artwork, to convey a message about human society. Banksy's rats are highly stylized, and have become a signature of sorts for this graffiti artist.

Graffiti and tattoos are often viewed as being rebellious in nature, as street art is illegal, and tattoos leave a permanent mark on the skin. As a form of self-expression, both styles are quickly gaining popularity, especially as a combination of the two in the form of graffiti tattoos.



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Graffiti: Art or Vandalism?

A look at the different forms of graffiti, and what constitutes as art, or mere vandalism.




Modern Graffiti comes in many different forms, from the scrawled message in a public bathroom stall to the spray-painted murals boasted on subway walls. The simplest form of graffiti is scrawled message; “Sally loves Peter” or “James woz here.” Many regard these impromptu writings as vandalism, as they lack artistic merit, yet the point of graffiti is to send an expressive message to the reader, whether it is a political, social or personal view.
Some graffiti is used as a territory marker, called “tagging”. These can often be seen on street corners, street signs and suburban walls. It is simply a signature of the person who is laying claim to that area as being in their territory.


Stenciling is a popular form of modern graffiti, and is often used to convey political and social messages to the viewer in a pictorial form. A famous stenciling artist is Banksy, with his provocative and thought-provoking work that can be appreciated as more than just mere vandalism, as seen below.


Graffitti artists commonly utilize spray paint as their medium, using different size nozzles to achieve broader or more precise lines. However, some graffiti artists choose to use brushes or sponges, sometimes combining all three in their artwork.


Modern graffitti does not require that a certain style is used. Cartoons, caricatures and portraits are often used to convey a message, with decorative text styles and interesting uses of perspective.
Modern graffiti is true street art, appearing overnight on walls, in subways and on buildings. Graffitti artists often paint their murals illegally, working under cover of darkness with a team of sentries to watch for law enforcers or pedestrians. Because of the controversial material contained in many murals, graffiti is now considered to be a form of resistance art, in rebellion against common public beliefs and government laws. This example is of a statement made by Barack Obama, as expressed by the graffiti artist.


The ultimate achievement for many graffiti artists is to create their work in places that are dangerous to get to, or difficult to paint on. Spraying a piece on the side of a train, for example, is quite an achievement, as trains are often under close guard, and have a slick surface which causes the paint to run.


As with all genres of art, there are amazing graffiti artists, and those who attempt to be amazing, but fall far short of their goal, and end up being mere vandals.


However, there is a lot of amazing graffiti out there, and many graffiti artists are now being commissioned to decorate buildings and offices. As an art form, it requires not only technical ability, to use the tools required, but creativity and personal opinion.



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10 Postmodern Appearances of The Mona Lisa: Classic Subject Resurfaces in Urban Street Artworks

Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa has taken to the streets, appearing in urban graffiti murals around the world.

Da Vinci’s painting of the young woman has raised many questions over the years, such as, “Who was she?” and “What was she smiling about?” The mystery of the painting has inspired many artists duplicate Da Vinci’s masterpiece in many mediums.


Mona Lisa Graffiti Art

The first picture shown here, a stenciled work depicting Mona in red, with a star on a necklace and a bottle in her hand, appeared in Russia. As with all graffiti, the interpretation of the piece is left up to the viewer. However, the red coloring and the star may be linked to the artist’s views on communism, as these are well-known symbols for the political system.



Mona has also appeared on a wall in Portugal, in another stenciled piece. Although the artwork carries no symbolic content, it may have been produced out of appreciation for Da Vinci’s work.


The whereabouts of the following piece is unsure. This graffiti displays two separate styles, and it is thought that the eyes, nose and mouth were painted by a different artist to the one who painted the ears, hair, shoulders and wings.


In a controversial piece by Banksy, appearing in England; Mona is depicted bending over and lifting up her skirt. This piece has been considered offensive by some, but as with a lot of graffiti art the artist challenges common public beliefs, in this case, the belief that the Mona Lisa figure is chaste and pure.


This artwork, in Porto, Portugal, shows Mona in a baseball cap and related attire. Perhaps a symbol of national pride?


This stenciled piece appeared overnight, in Cardiff, England, before being painted over the next day. The art work takes on several dimensions, as we are presented with a stencilled graffiti art work, depicting a graffiti artist at work, creating a fan art work of the famous painting, the Mona Lisa.


This street art painting of the Mona Lisa, in New York, USA, may not be in existence anymore, as it was created at a construction site, and the area was in the process of being demolished when the photo was taken.


A stenciled artwork, in Bergen, Norway, shows Mona holding a brush and painting over herself. The artist, Dolk, called this piece “The Last Mona”. The motives of this piece are questionable. Is the artist stating that the Mona Lisa as a subject in modern art is no longer creative? Or perhaps that if Mona were alive today, she would not wish to be the focus of so much public scrutiny. The viewer must interpret the work for themselves.


Mona has appeared in London, in what seems to be a politically motivated artwork by the stencil artist Banksy. She is shown wielding a deadly weapon, yet still has her notably mysterious smile.


Many paintings gain popularity and then fall from the public eye. Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa has been an inspirational force for many artists, and it seems that she lives on, gaining immortality through the works of others, and always with her mysterious smile. The popularity of her image outlives the lifespan of the artworks in which she is depicted, as they are often destroyed during renovations or painted over.


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