How Banksy Saved Art History

Kelly Grovier

$49.99

Hardback

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English

Thames & Hudson
01 September 2024

Art & Architecture; Individual artists, art monographs

Grovier's book reframes [Banksy's] works in a new light. Inextricably linked to Da Vinci, Monet and Van Gogh, Banksy not only makes art but reinvigorates it - Daily Mail

A new take on the history of art - from da Vinci to Warhol - as

reinterpreted and ultimately reinforced by the international

phenomenon that is Banksy

Few would dispute that Banksy is the most famous urban artist in the world today. That he is

also one of the most perceptive art historians of our age might come as a surprise to many.

But the myriad memorable works he has created over the past thirty years constitute an

audacious commentary on the history of image-making - a captivating critique waiting to be

pieced together.

Armed with little more than stencils, spray paint and an anonymizing cloak of after-hours

darkness, Banksy has forged an alluring identity for himself as an incorrigible prankster who

doesn't embrace tradition but shreds it. What actually illuminates Banksy's audacious murals,

impromptu urban sculptures and vandalized paintings, however, is a profound understanding

of the story of art. Banksy recasts masterpieces as powerful comments on contemporary

issues: climate change, consumerism and the struggle for peace, and reveals these works to

be surprisingly elastic, resilient and relevant.

In this fully illustrated and entertaining exploration, bestselling author Kelly Grovier traces art

history through Banksy's lens, presenting many of his most recognizable works: from his droll

lampooning of the Lascaux cave paintings to his reinvention of Monet's enchanting water-lily

pond, a reboot of Géricault's tragic gut-wrenching vision to Vermeer's girl now instilled with

street cred, everyone's genius is grist for his unmerciful mill. Far from being diminished in

their significance, however, the works that Banksy ruthlessly parodies are ultimately

refurbished by the ordeal. Banksy's iconoclastic works force us to rethink our affection for,

and appreciation of, great works of art that define cultural history.

By: Kelly Grovier
Imprint: Thames & Hudson
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 246mm, Width: 186mm,
Weight: 860g
ISBN: 9780500027059
ISBN 10: 0500027056
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 01 September 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Kelly Grovier is a columnist and feature writer for BBC Culture and his writings on art have appeared in the Times Literary Supplement, the Independent, The Sunday Times, the Observer, RA Magazine and Wired. He is the author of several books, including A New Way of Seeing: The History of Art in 57 Works (2018), On the Line: Conversations with Sean Scully (2021) and The Art of Colour (2023), published by Thames & Hudson. He is co-founder of the scholarly journal European Romantic Review.

Reviews for How Banksy Saved Art History

'Grovier’s book reframes [Banksy’s] works in a new light. Inextricably linked to Da Vinci, Monet and Van Gogh, Banksy not only makes art but reinvigorates it' - Daily Mail 'Captivating' - Publishers Weekly 'Insightful' - Kirkus Reviews