Screenprint from the “Godfather of Street Art” Offered in Signari Gallery Event Before the 1980s, there was little precedent for the stenciled graffiti that is now a hallmark of street art. The global art scene of the 70s was exploring post-modernism when a 20-year-old Frenchman named Xavier Prou stumbled across a growing graffiti movement in New York. A decade later, Prou took what he learned and created his own brand of graffiti on the streets of Paris. He then renamed himself “Blek le Rat.” Blek’s stenciled graffiti has inspired the likes of Banksy and other now-famous street artists. Though relatively unknown outside of France, Blek is frequently referred to as the “godfather of modern street art” (a title he gladly embraces). Most of his works can still be found publicly, but Blek’s prints and merchandise have also started to enter the art market. Available in an upcoming Signari Gallery auction is a 2018 screenprint from Blek, offered at 12:00 PM PDT on August 1st, 2020. Before the bidding starts, learn more about Blek le Rat and his impact on contemporary street art. Blek le Rat, The Man Who Walks Through Walls, 2008. Image from Blek le Rat. Unlike many graffiti artists, Blek enjoyed a comfortable childhood. It was during his time at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris that he began engaging with street art. His first stencils showed rats engaging in various activities, an effort to show “the only free animal in the city.” The artist’s street name grew out of these early works, combining the name of a character from a 1950s French comic book with the anagram for “art.” Blek kept his art apolitical at first, only exploring themes of freedom in a crowded city. Although his identity was revealed in 1991 after being arrested, he continued creating graffiti that blended high and low art. The early 2000s saw Blek’s entrance into public political commentary. The 2005 kidnapping of French journalist Florence Aubenas prompted a broad cultural response, fanned in part by Blek’s widespread activism. Later themes in his art have included homelessness, war, religion, the economy,…
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