VOICES OF THE STREET
Stencils, graffiti, creative signposting – the trademarks of street art are gaining worldwide fame, according to our columnist, who is handing over his entire gallery to Mr Brainwash this autumn. Jean-David Malat
In the early 1970s, alongside the already famous pop art movement, a unique form of art emerged, with strong and powerful messages from those who rejected mainstream ideas and decided to express themselves on the streets. Street art was born.
In the same way everyone thinks of Andy Warhol when pop art is mentioned, the main figure of street art is undeniably the mysterious Banksy who has gained a well-deserved reputation for extraordinarily sharp and humorous renderings.
However, although they are less famous with the general public, one must not forget that the ‘founding fathers’ of street art were Jean-Michel Basquiat and Blek le Rat. The African-American Basquiat is in fact the artist considered to have built the bridge between pop art and street art.
As for Blek le Rat, he is regarded as the pioneer of stencil art: indeed he has been using the walls of Paris and other cities as canvas since the early 1980s to convey his political and social messages. In 2008, he was invited by London’s Tate Modern to be part of a talk on Street Art. Beyond France and England, Blek Le Rat is now part of the international art scene. Banksy himself said, in 2005: "Every time I think I've painted something slightly original, I find out that Blek Le Rat has done it as well. Only twenty years earlier." In 2008, The Times called him: “Blek le Rat, the man who gave birth to Banksy.”
Because art is all about passing on references and inspiration, Banksy has inspired generations of young contemporary street artists, making street art one of he most successful genres of the era. It is no surprise that the MOCA in Los Angeles is currently showing ‘Art in the Streets’ (from April 17th until August 8th), the first major US museum exhibition of the history of graffiti and street art. This is a sign that street art is officially recognised as a contemporary and valued art movement.
One of Banksy’s protégés is the controversial Mr Brainwash (MBW). Banksy has been behind him, pushing him, and he directed Exit through the gift shop - nominated for the Oscars this year – to introduce him to the general public. Los Angelesbased Thierry Guetta, a.k.a. Mr Brainwash, has already shown in Miami during the 2010 Art Basel and in New York’s trendy Meatpacking district for six months last year. He is a very dynamic, creative and productive artist.
He has been criticised, notably for being helped by a team of assistants. I do not agree with those criticisms: Damien Hirst works with a team of assistants and designers without this challenging his value as a respected artist. Nonetheless, as long as people talk about Mr. Brainwash, it is a good thing; it means that he is interesting. What is worrying is when no one talks about an artist, and one should remember that Andy Warhol was very severely criticised for not being “a real artist” when he was alive.
Beyond all polemics, Mr Brainwash now experiences a real international success, he is featured in shows in China and Korea and represented in prominent museums and foundations all around the world. Moreover, he has worked his way up the artistic ladder and gained recognition from his peers, doing some associations with important contemporary artists; and a famous collaboration with Queen of Pop Madonna for the cover of her third greatest-hits album ‘Celebration’ in 2009.
In London, from October 5th, we are giving him carte blanche to transform the gallery and make it his own. I can’t wait to see the result; it will be a surprise for everyone.
Among other young street artists who are taking after the masters Banksy and Basquiat, it is worth mentioning also 24-year-old British graffiti and stencil artist Rich Simmons. This very gifted artist brought public attention to his art when he portrayed Prince William and his then bride-to-be Kate Middleton as the punks Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen in the controversial ‘Future ***King’ artwork. Not only is he very talented as an artist, he is also exceptionally witty and impertinent. His humorous work shows the obvious heritage left by Banksy on the London street art scene. He will be featured in a street art show to be held in London from June 16th this summer. The show will bring together young artists like Rich Simmons and very established street artists such as Nick Walker, Logan Hicks and Shepard Fairey in a coherent exhibition.
In terms of market value, the above-mentioned established artists are obviously also very expensive. They hit record prices at auctions and are not easily accessible for the average art collector. Banksy, for example, is not within budget for many collectors; and this is true for his prints just as well as for the original canvases.
Hence, my advice is that one had often better buy an original piece by a young promising artist, represented by an established and well-respected art gallery. At the moment, this is my advice to clients and collectors who show interest for street art: buy young, buy new, buy promising. For example, Rich Simmons, mentioned before, has just finished a series on the Royal Family, with a cheeky ‘Queen on the Throne’: it is young and fresh, but also affordable and very likely to see its value multiplied by 5 to 10 in the next couple of years. A great investment.
And for the sceptical buyers and those who do
not like bets on the future, there are still a few
established artists whose pieces can be purchased
for a more affordable price: The London Police,
Blek Le Rat and Ron English among them. 