Banksy

BANKSY (Bristol, England, 1975).
"Grim reaper (Wrong war), 2003.
Spray paint on cardboard.
Attached photocopy of the letter of provenance.
Presents marks of having been attached to wooden strips.
Measurements: 87 x 56 cm.
Attached photocopy of the letter of provenance, which attended the demonstration in 2003. These cardboards were handed out at the beginning of the march.
Grim Reaper is one of Banksy's most iconic depictions and among Banksy's earliest known street art. The graffiti appeared in the Old Street and Shoreditch neighborhoods in the early 2000s. Most of these works were covered up during the London anti-graffiti raid in 2007. Holding his traditional scythe and sitting nonchalantly on the face of a large clock, the traditional hooded face of Death has been disconcertingly replaced by a bright yellow smiley face.
Banksy created a number of different cartons for the Protest March against the Iraq War in London on February 15, 2003, which were distributed at the start of the March creating a viral presence. Few originals have survived as they were abandoned in the street or confiscated by the Metropolitan police.
Banksy skillfully captured the anti-war sentiment in this image, being already iconic. The artist quoted about his street art: "The canvases, the prints, all the "proper art" I've done doesn't matter. Only the street work will live on." Banksy / Cut & Run 25 years card labour, Catalogue of Banksy's exhibition at the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Ar (GoMA) in 2023.
Banksy, the British artist whose identity is still unknown, is considered one of the leading exponents of contemporary Street Art. According to a study by Queen Mary University of London published in March 2016, Robin Gunningham, a resident of Bristol, would be the artist behind the Banksy pseudonym. His works address universal themes such as politics, culture or ethics treated mostly from a satirical and ironic point of view by combining graffiti writing with the use of stencil stencils. This technique is similar to that used by Blek le Rat, who began working with stencils in 1981 in Paris. In fact, Banksy acknowledged Blek's influence by stating that "every time I think I've painted something slightly original, I realize that Blek le Rat did it better, only twenty years earlier."