Banksy The prints

Art collector Campolucci-Bordi debuts with a straightforward study of the printed works of street artist Banksy. Known primarily for his graffiti, Banksy began churning out screen prints in the early aughts, and the cheaply sold reproductions (that now command exorbitant prices) opened up his work "to a wider audience." Focusing mostly on the early and mid-aughts, the book highlights his signature themes--childhood, hope, critiques of consumerism and capitalism----in screen prints, some of which feature images initially displayed elsewhere, like Girl with Balloon, Banksy's "most iconic image," which first appeared on a London wall in 2002 and depicts a child reaching into the wind for a heart-shaped balloon. Works first released as screen prints include 2006's Sale Ends, which critiques the ironies of consumerism in a parodied crucifixion scene where figures bow "before a bright-red sign that reads 'Sale Ends Today,' " and 2002's Rude Copper, in which a policeman gives the viewer the middle finger. The author provides minimal analysis and only basic details about the original medium and distribution of each work, mostly allowing the striking art to speak for itself. The result is a worthwhile survey of a lesser-known element of the enigmatic artist's oeuvre. (Nov.)

Works on paper from a celebrated graffiti artist. British artist and political activist Banksy, famous for his street art, has been making, publishing, and selling screen prints for several decades. As artist Paul Coldwell notes in his introduction, these prints, widely circulated, extended the reach of Banksy's political and social critiques to private, domestic surroundings. Art collector Campolucci-Bordi has gathered 174 of these striking images into a handsomely produced volume, organized chronologically by their release date, from 2002 to 2022. The author provides a description of each image, along with information about where and when it was released, how many were published, and how many were signed. Banksy repeated some motifs, such as yellow smiley faces, which appear inFlying Copper andHave a Nice Day as the faces of police officers and inWrong War as the face of a solider. Rats recur, too, as symbols of rebellion and resistance. Most images were printed in black, white, and red, but Banksy often used colors ironically: A pink bow stands out on a military helicopter (Happy Choppers) and a pink background underscores the innocence of children inJack and Jill/Police Kids. Banksy's titles highlight his ridicule of capitalism and consumerism:Christ With Shopping Bags depicts the crucified Jesus holding bags of purchases in each hand;Sale Ends Today shows worshippers bowing before a store's sign; andVery Little Helps shows children pledging allegiance to a Tesco bag hoisted on a flagpole. Similarly, the artist skewers British royalty, inMonkey Queen andQueen Vic, and alludes to the royal family's treatment of Princess Diana inDi-Faced Tenners. His irreverence extends to Winston Churchill, depicted with a punk hairdo inTurf War. A glossary defines some artistic terms and projects. A stark, graphic commentary on contemporary life. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.