Gaza is often described as ‘the world’s largest open air prison’ because no-one is allowed to enter or leave. But that seems a bit unfair to prisons – they don’t have their electricity and drinking water cut off randomly almost every day.
BANKSYPeople say graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish… but that’s only if it’s done properly.
More Banksy Quotes
-
-
I know street art can feel increasingly like the marketing wing of an art career, so I wanted to make some art without the price tag attached. There’s no gallery show or book or film. It’s pointless. Which hopefully means something.
BANKSY -
I mean, they say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time.
BANKSY -
Stencils are good for two reasons; one – they’re quick; two – they annoy idiots.
BANKSY -
There are four basic human needs; food, sleep, sex and revenge.
BANKSY -
Anyone who believes in capital punishment should be shot
BANKSY -
All artists are willing to suffer for their work. But why are so few prepared to learn to draw?
BANKSY -
I’d been painting rats for three years before someone said ‘that’s clever it’s an anagram of art’ and I had to pretend I’d known that all along.
BANKSY -
If you want someone to be ignored then build a life-size bronze statue of them and stick it in the middle of town. It doesn’t matter how great you were, it’ll always take an unfunny drunk with climbing skills to make people notice you.
BANKSY -
I like to think I have the guts to stand up anonymously in a western democracy and call for things no-one else believes in – like peace and justice and freedom.
BANKSY -
Today’s art has been cancelled due to police activity.
BANKSY -
Nobody knows what you feel inside unless you tell them.
BANKSY -
We don’t need any more heroes; we just need someone to take out the recycling.
BANKSY -
If it doesn’t matter, get rid of it. If you can’t get rid of it, it matters.
BANKSY -
The one thing you can rely on is if you get disturbed halfway through a painting and it looks a bit naff, then someone will preserve that piece, remove it and a few months later it’ll be paraded round Sotheby’s by people wearing white gloves.
BANKSY -
I tell myself I use art to promote dissent, but maybe I am just using dissent to promote my art. I plead not guilty to selling out. But I plead it from a bigger house than I used to live in.
BANKSY -
I don’t believe in anything. I’m just here for the violence.
BANKSY -
I just wanna make the world a better-looking place. If you don’t like it, you can paint over it!
BANKSY -
You can win the rat race but you’re still a rat.
BANKSY -
But there’s no way round it-commercial success is a mark of failure for a graffiti artist. We’re not supposed to be embraced in that way. When you look at how society rewards so many of the wrong people, it’s hard not to view financial reimbursement as a badge of self-serving mediocrity.
BANKSY -
If you don’t own a train company then you go and paint on one instead… it all comes from that thing at school when you had to have name tags in the back of something… that makes it belong to you. You can own half the city by scribbling your name over it.
BANKSY -
I don’t think you should have to pay to look at graffiti. You should only pay if you want to get rid of it.
BANKSY -
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.
BANKSY -
People either love me or they hate me, or they don’t really care.
BANKSY -
In the future, everybody will be anonymous for 15 minutes.
BANKSY -
Film is incredibly democratic and accessible, it’s probably the best option if you actually want to change the world, not just re-decorate it.
BANKSY -
Sometimes I feel so sick at the state of the world I can’t even finish my second apple pie.
BANKSY