In Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, October 2012.
Banksy pays homage to Blek Le Rat, the original stencil using street artist with the rat as his icon.
I'm not sure why Banksy's street art is more valued than others, apart from the prices it commands at galleries. I wouldn't say it is better, more sophisticated or particularly original but it is cool and I do like it. Having dabbled in stencil art recently I can confirm that these monochromatic pieces took little time execute in situ compared with something full coloured or freehand. Matt black auto paint provides coverage very quickly and you only need a brief, feather light spray to crisply capture the shape in your stencil. It's more about the careful preparation of the stencil in the privacy of the studio. The infamy of Banksy seems to be more about the enigmatic quality of an anonymous artist who has succeeded in evading the authorities for a long time - possibly due the brief time it takes to install the art - rather than the edginess of the art itself.
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