Los Angeles has been ranked the second “Rattiest City” in the U.S., according to the pest control service Orkin. LOS ANGELES (KABC) - The City of Angels is apparently also the city of rats. Why is Blek le Rat famous? Are there rats in Los Angeles? The identity of Blek le Rat became public in 1991 when he was arrested stencilling another Caravaggio replica. He soon adopted the pseudonym Blek le Rat, inspired by Italian comic Blek le Roc. Stencilling rats, he said, gave him a way to stand out and be free of major city anonymity.

(Prou started stenciling rats around Paris in 1981, when Banksy, whose identity is rumored but not confirmed, was reportedly just in grade school.) “Every time I think I’ve painted something slightly original, I find out that Blek le Rat has done it as well, only 20 years earlier,” Banksy is widely quoted as saying. Besides “rat” being an anagram for art, Bansky uses the rat as a reincarnate art form of himself: to engage in criminal activity in a clandestine manner without detection and detention. Taking this concept, the image of the rat embodies all of Banksy’s belief as a graffiti artist. Why does Banksy compare himself with rats? Why is Blek Le Rat famous?īorn in 1951, Xavier Prou (better known as Blek Le Rat), was one of the first graffiti artists in Paris, and is the founder of the international stencil art movement. He uses stencils and spray paint to create wall paintings, using photographic sources and juxtaposition to convey provocative and politically controversial statements. Initially influenced by the early graffiti-art of New York City after a visit in 1971, he chose a style which he felt better suited Paris, due to the differing architecture of the two cities.Įscuela Nacional Superior de Bellas Artesīlek le Rat is a French graffiti artist. His name originates from the comic book Blek le Roc, using “rat” as an anagram for “art”. Blek chose to paint rats because they symbolise the urban environment as well as the marginalizsd members of society.

The use of stencils, whether for depicting rats or life-size characters, allows him the opportunity for endless reproduction.

Download free blek le rat shop