7 animated GIFs of Banksy street art you have to see
We round up some of Banksy's best designs, and the amazing cinemagraphs one artist has made from them.
One of the world's most famous exponents of street art, Banksy's been back in the spotlight recently with his self-proclaimed 'residence' in New York - check out our roundup here. Now Serbian designer 'AVBH' is making a name for himself with his amazing cinemagraphs of some of Banksy's best known work. Here we take a look at some of the best, and the story behind the originals...
01. Parking lot
Banksy's work usually aims to makes a statement, although some are more obtuse than others. This depiction of a girl on a swing is one of the more clear-cut, making an obvious point about how public spaces are steadily being eroded by car parks. This design appeared at 9th and Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles, by the Orpheum Theatre.
02. Kissing policeman
This attention-grabbing work, which shows two policemen in a steamy embrace, soon became a regular tourist attraction in the gay-friendly English seaside town of Brighton. But the design, appearing on the Prince Albert pub in Trafalgar Street, was also the subject of repeated vandalism, and the pub owner eventually decided to have it removed and sold to a New York gallery.
03. Rat mural
In New York, you're never more than six feet from a rat. Banksy brings the reality of city life to the fore in this mural which he commissioned Colossal Media to create on Canal and West Broadway.
This was a series of 'art-vertisments' for the artist, who told the press at the time: "I wanted to play the corporations at their own game, at the same scale and in the same locations. The advantage of billboard companies is that they'll let you write anything for money, even if what you write is questioning the ethics of letting someone write anything because they have money."
The animation added for the cinemagraph, turning the rat's scissors into a murderous tool, are nicely in keeping with the artist's anti-capitalist sentiments.
04. Stop sign
With typical Banksy wit, this piece saw a rat turning a 'No' symbol into a rodent exercise wheel, transforming a common street sign into a comment on the 9-5 "rat race". The cinemagraph version makes the point even clearer.
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05. Paper swan
Banksy's art doesn't just appear in urban areas. This painting of a paper swan appeared on a wall next to the River Lym in the leafy English town of Lyme Regis, Dorset. The way the cinemagraph brings it to life is truly stunning.
06. Graffiti is a crime
This was the opening shot in Banksy's recent Manhattan 'residence'. Appearing near Chinatown it's typical of the self-reflexible irony often seen in Banksy's pieces, that requires little explanation but can't raise to fail a smirk from passers by.
07. Hydrant
This stencil in New York on 79th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave, showcases Banksy's unparallelled skill in bringing boring objects to magical life. The cinemagraph takes the image to its logical, anarchic conclusion.
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Is Banksy a visionary or self-promotional chancer? Let us know your views in the comments box below!
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