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Banksy

Banksy Quotes

Artist

Banksy is a British anonymous street artist known for his distinctive graffiti and installation art. His work often features satirical and confrontational elements, commenting on social phenomena. Banksy's art has gained worldwide attention, and his artistic style combines street art with traditional painting techniques.

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Famous Banksy Quotes

“Some people criticize me for using sources that are a bit low brow (this quote is from 'Gladiator') but you know what? 'I'm just going to use that hostility to make me stronger, not weaker' as Kelly Rowland said on the X Factor.”

People Knows Said Use Bits Source Lows Stronger Factors Criticize Hostility Brows

Author:Banksy

“You're advised not to drink the replica Arab spring water.”

Water Drink Spring Arab Spring Replica Spring Water

Author:Banksy

“Today's art has been cancelled due to police activity.”

Has Beens Art Today Activity Police Dues

Author:Banksy

“In the future, everybody will be anonymous for 15 minutes.”

Author:Banksy

“If you feel dirty, insignificant or unloved, then rats are a good role model. They exist without permission, they have no respect for the hierarchy of society, and they have sex 50 times a day.”

Ifs Feels Sex Roles Models Dirty Role Models Permission Rats Insignificant Hierarchy No Respect Unloved Good Role Models

Author:Banksy

“The bad artists imitate, the great artists steal.”

Artist Stealing Great Art Great Artist

Author:Banksy

“Bus stops are far more interesting and useful places to have art than in museums. Graffiti has more chance of meaning something or changing stuff than anything indoors. Graffiti has been used to start revolutions, stop wars, and generally is the voice of people who aren't listened to. Graffiti is one of those few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if you don't come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make somebody smile while they're having a piss.”

People Ifs World Has Beens Art War Used Stuff Voice Chance Interesting Poverty Revolution Tools Smile Come Up Cures Museums Bus Graffiti World Poverty Bus Stops Stop War Meaning Something

Author: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.”

Ifs World Want Film Inspiring Democratic Filmmaker Movie Changing The World

Author:Banksy

“Nobody ever listened to me until they didn't know who I was”

Knows Graffiti Wall And Piece

Book:Banksy: wall and piece

Source: Banksy: wall and piece

“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.”

Knows Feels Mean Art Book Shows Wanted Film Careers Streets Wings Marketing Hopefully Pointless Gallery Tag Price Tag Street Art

Author:Banksy

“All graffiti is low-level dissent, but stencils have an extra history. They've been used to start revolutions and to stop wars”

War Used Levels Revolution Lows Extras Dissent Graffiti Low Level Stop War

Author:Banksy

“Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing.”

Ifs Tools Graffiti Banging Street Art Wall And Piece Graffiti Art Graffiti Artist Banging Your Head

Author:Banksy

“I’ve learnt from experience that a painting isn’t finished when you put down your brush – that’s when it starts. The public reaction is what supplies meaning and value. Art comes alive in the arguments you have about it.”

Art Values Alive Painting Argument Finished Reactions Brushes Supplies

Author:Banksy

“When you go to an art gallery you are simply a tourist looking at the trophy cabinet of a few millionaires.”

Art Millionaire Gallery Tourists Cabinets Trophies Art Galleries Wall And Piece

Author:Banksy

“I think its pretty clear that film is the pre-eminent art form of our age. If Michaelangelo or Leonardo Da Vinci were alive today they’d be making Avatar, not painting a chapel. 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.”

Ifs Thinking World Want Art Age Today Film Form Clear Alive Painting Democratic Changing The World Live For Today Chapel Leonardo

Author:Banksy

“You don't need planning permission to build castles in the sky”

Needs Sky Planning Permission Castles Castles In The Sky

Author: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.”

People Way Looks Self Hard Artist Views Mark Rewards Rounds Financial Supposed To Be Serving Mediocrity Badges Graffiti Self Serving Graffiti Artist Reimbursement

Author:Banksy

“It doesn't take much to be a successful artist-all you need to do is dedicate your entire life to it.”

Needs Artist Successful Successful Artists

Author:Banksy

“Nobody knows what you feel inside unless you tell them.”

Knows Feels Nobody Knows

Author:Banksy

“The time of getting fame for your name on its own is over. Artwork that is only about wanting to be famous will never make you famous. Any fame is a by-product of making something that means something. You don't go to a restaurant and order a meal because you want to have a sh*t.”

Want Mean Order Names Products Fame Meals Restaurants Artwork

Author:Banksy

“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.”

World Seems Bits Water Cutting Air Prison Drinking Everyday Unfair Electricity Gaza Drinking Water

Author:Banksy

“I wanted to highlight the destruction in Gaza by posting photos on my website - but on the internet, people only look at pictures of kittens.”

People Looks Wanted Internet Destruction Website Kitten Highlights Gaza

Author:Banksy

“The difference between freedom and slavery is one thin line”

Differences Lines Slavery

Author: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.”

Ifs School Names Cities Half Company Train Paint Over It Tag

Author:Banksy

“Should #‎ graffiti be judged on the same level as modern art? Of course not: It's way more important than that”

Way Should Art Important Courses Levels Modern Judged Graffiti Modern Art

Author:Banksy

“Keep your coins, I want change.”

Author:Banksy

“If Michaelangelo or Leonardo Da Vinci were alive today they’d be making Avatar, not painting a chapel.”

Ifs Today Alive Painting Live For Today Chapel Leonardo

Author:Banksy

“Graffiti is only dangerous in the mind of three types of people; politicians, advertising executives and graffiti writers.”

People Mind Three Dangerous Type Politician Advertising Executives Graffiti

Book:Banksy: wall and piece

Source: Banksy: wall and piece

“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.”

Art Might Form Lying Night Honest Wall Offers Towns Available Mum Creeps Hype Exhibits Admission Elitism Your Mum

Author:Banksy

“This is a big surprise I don't agree with the concept of award ceremonies, but I'm prepared to make an exception for the ones I'm nominated for. The last time there was a naked man covered in gold paint in my house, it was me.”

Men Bigs Lasts House Concepts Gold Agree Prepared Surprise Paint Naked Exception Covered Awards Last Time Ceremony Big Surprises Award Ceremonies

Author:Banksy

“If it doesn’t matter, get rid of it. If you can’t get rid of it, it matters.”

Author:Banksy

About the Author

Born: 1974
Known for: Artist
Quotes: 131

Related Topics

Graffiti Art Wall And Piece People Street Art Graffiti Art Ifs Graffiti Artist World Painting

Popular Topics

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Books & Sources

Banksy: wall and pieceRelated source material

Wall and PieceRelated source material

Banksy Locations & Tours Volume 2: A Collection of Graffiti Locations and Photographs from Around the U.K.Related source material

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