Banksy: Wall and Piece

Wall and Piece by Banksy. Random House. $39.95 Paperback.

"Despite what they say graffiti is not the lowest form of art. Although you might have to creep about at night and lie to your mum it's actually one of the more honest art forms available. There is no elitism or hype, it exhibits on the best walls a town has to offer and nobody is put off by the price of admission. A wall has always been the best place to publish your work." - So says Banksy and with evidence ranging from Pompeii to Keith Haring, who - aside from Leo Schofield - would argue with him?

Record-breaking auction prices and a legion of gushing celebrity fans have brought the English graffiti artist Banksy to international prominence. A long-time cult figure, this mysterious artist has been displaying his work in public places since the late 1990s. Although some have deplored his work as nothing more than vandalism, to most he is a visionary, the leader of a new artistic movement and the poster boy for free speech. And now - with this sumptuous and extensive coffee table book: mainstream recognition too.

Believed to have been born in 1974, Banksy (whose real identity is still officially unknown but unofficially he goes by the name Robert Banks) began his graffiti career as a freehand artist, spray-painting walls whenever the opportunity presented itself. The time it took to complete a work (and almost being caught by police as a result) forced Banksy to reassess his approach and around the year 2000 he switched to stencils. Stencils allow Banksy to execute much more detailed murals in half the time since most of the work is done beforehand.

Since this "epiphany," as he calls it, Banksy's work has appeared all over the world. More than just writing his name everywhere and defiantly defacing property, Banksy's work is more often than not highly political, combining satire with a burning desire to "call for things no one else believes in - like peace, justice and freedom." A look at his work, such as the series of pieceson the segregation wall in Palestine, his work at the London zoo or his famous picture of a rioter throwing flowers proves immediately that he is much more than your average graffiti artist. Indeed, Banksy is not your usual artist. Who else has painted elephants, cows and pigs, poked fun at museums and snuck his work undetected for weeks on end onto the walls of the Tate, Louvre and the Museum of Modern Art in New York?

Wall and Piece is the first official book from Banksy (he has self-published a few) and collects together images of most of his stencil work, combining them with short written pieces by the artist. Seen all together in one place, the work of Banksy instantly takes on a new level of meaning. No longer are they just odd, sometimes amusing images on a wall, they're now part of a much larger coherent picture.

The work speaks out against those he sees as the real vandals in society and is immediate and interactive. Viewers are often able to have a physical interaction with a piece which heightens its effectiveness. It allows Banksy to get his message across and have his voice heard, something most other artists can only do if people go into a gallery or museum.

"The only people who truly deface our neighbourhoods are the companies that scrawl giant slogans across buildings and buses trying to make us feel inadequate unless we buy their stuff," Banksy writes. "They expect to be able to shout their message in your face from every available surface but you're never allowed to answer back. Well, they started the fight and the wall is the weapon of choice to hit them back."

As well as providing a clearer picture of Banksy's mindset, Wall and Piece also allows a wider audience to explore the true scope and ingenious nature of his work. The book not only covers his stencil work but also includes photographs of his street sculpture (perhaps the most interesting work he does), poetry, stunts, canvas and printed work, demonstrating that although he may be viewed as a 'graffiti artist' he defies easy pigeonholing and would greatly trouble the classifiers.

That said, the written material is something of a letdown. A few pieces don't make a great deal of sense and most simply serve to further promote his cause, which while not bad, does leave wanting readers who may want a little more information and insight.

Some may view the publication of a book such as this to be evidence of Banksy "selling out," especially considering his stance against commercialism. However, he remains aloof from his newfound fame and wealth, even going so far as to comment on his website after an auction; "I can't believe you morons buy this shit." While he is obviously enjoying the plentiful fruits of his labours, by maintaining his anonymity and the Banksy persona, the voice for the voiceless, he has managed to ensure that he has not yet become a part of the establishment, no matter how much it embraces his work.

Whatever your view, Banksy and his effect on the art world cannot be denied. Already in his short working career he has started a movement that has been felt all around the world (including the walls of Belvoir St Theatre here in Sydney where a distinctly Banksy style stencil is part of the set design of Paul). Stencil and politically inspired art is now popping up everywhere, on walls, bus shelters, t-shirts, CD covers, magazines and even online. Several Australian galleries have even put together collections of prominent Australian stencil graffiti artists in a bid to preserve them.

As Banksy says; "Some people become cops because they want to make the world a better place. Some people become vandals because they want to make the world a better looking place." If that is his mission then he is doing a fabulous job and Wall and Piece is exhibit A.

For more information visit WWW.BANKSY.CO.UK.