The quality of the enigmatic street artist’s murals veers wildly: from self-satisfied satirical statements to truly funny political provocations. Our critic rates his pieces, from worst to best
Banksy has become famous for being famous, which is quite an achievement considering we are not certain who he is. Like all famous artists, he is often reduced to a cash value – making his artworks as nickable as they are memetic. The animals Banksy has been painting in unlikely London sites this summer are causing a now-familiar surge of adulation and hubbub. Yet behind his (anti)celebrity cult, Banksy is an artist whose work veers wildly in quality. At his best he’s a satirical agent provocateur with few rivals. At worst he’s vacantly sentimental or ideologically crass, often both at the same time. So which Banksys are worth making a fuss over and which deserve to be left in a skip?
