Messages In Stencil.

So I was looking for some fresh new wallpaper for the laptop. Every few days I like to rotate them to keep things interesting, cycling from abstract minimalist displays to tranquil natural landscapes, from stylized vector art to heavily photo-manipulated images. I've been in a kind of urban, gritty mood lately so my last couple of wallpapers have been city scenes with lots of concrete, steel, glass, artificial lighting and sharp, well-defined angles. Images of graffiti have always served as interesting wallpapers, so my current one is a photo of a popular Banksy piece:

there is always hope

Banksy is a popular graffiti artist hailing from the UK. Even if you don't know him by name, chances are if you've been around on the Internet you've seen some of his stuff. As with thousands of fans, his style resonates with me.

elephant bomb

I like the "look" of his art; much of it is clean, high-contrast stencil work. His use of shadow and negative space is imaginative and creative, and he often uses elements of the surrounding area to enhance the piece. Banksy is not the most colorful graffiti artist, but the colors that he does use are used to maximum effect.

swept under the carpet


I love TV

More often than not, there is some sort of sociopolitical message attached with his work which are usually usually anti-war, anti-capitalist or anti-establishment. Sometimes they're just funny. But I like the fact that he's actually trying to say something instead of just tagging his name up on a random wall.

anti-climb paint


sale ends today

Exit Through The Giftshop, a documentary about street artists including Banksy, recently premiered at Sundance this year to mostly positive reviews. The trailer looks promising, so I will have to watch this one late night -- with a couple of beers and some Phantogram tracks -- to complement my mood.