Art on the street is neat

A week or so ago an image of a monkey wearing a crown appeared prominently sprayed in black on a white wall in Gibraltar. It bore a remarkable resemblance to the work of the well known graffiti artist Banksy. Could it be that the mystery British artist had paid a visit to the Rock? Or did Gibraltar have a Banksy copycat? 

First off though, a little info about Banksy himself. He is an anonymous England-based graffiti artist, political activist, film director and painter. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine irreverent dark humour with graffiti done in a distinctive stencilling technique, just like the one used in the monkey image in Market Square in Gibraltar. His critics dismiss him as an irresponsible prankster, scarcely one step up from school dropouts carving slogans on park benches.  But the fact is he has a loyal and growing following, including some who have taken to copying his style in their own street art.

That is the most likely explanation for the image of the monkey that appeared on a freshly-painted wall near the market late last week. In all probability, it was a Banksy wannabe at work. Either way, I quite liked it. I like the thought of someone taking the time to prepare a stencil and then heading out into the street to put the image out there. A message or meaning? Maybe. Something about monkeys and royalty, or Gibraltar’s British heritage perhaps? Who knows. I just liked the image and the fact someone had gone to the trouble of painting it.

 It reminded me of another street artist, one I hadn’t heard of until I read this piece by my blogger friend Corinne at Gourmantic, a most excellent site that explores all things related to travel and food, my two favourite pastimes. This chap Gregos creates plaster masks in his own image and sticks them on walls in public places in Paris and other cities. The one in the photo above is in Malta. You can also buy your own Gregos mask, paint it and put it up in your own town. It’s pretty neat and innovative. Go see.