Banksy Rats

What Do Rats Symbolise for Banksy?

Cunning and resourceful, rats are often depicted as clever creatures, able to navigate various environments and find solutions to challenges. Rats are known for their ability to move stealthily and covertly - much like how a graffiti artist would evade the authorities under cover of darkness. In some contexts, rats are associated with betrayal and treachery. This symbolism stems from their association with thieves and informants in certain stories or cultural narratives.  These rats in Banksy's work can be seen as a symbol representing the enduring and resilient spirit of street art, which continues to thrive despite extensive efforts by cities and authorities to suppress it. 

What Are Banksy's Rats?

In Banksy's works, rats are anthropomorphized and frequently depicted in humorous scenarios, satirizing human imperfections. In his book "Wall and Piece," published in 2006, Banksy references more than 30 different renditions of rats from his early career. When it comes to Banksy's artistic output, he has created numerous murals featuring rats, primarily in England, with a tendency toward smaller-scale pieces. In 2004, Banksy also produced several prints on paper showcasing various iconic rat characters. Surprisingly, considering the significance of rats in his artistic iconography and symbolism, 

The rats of Banksy are given great agency and are active. From painting to listening, protesting to running, Banksy imbues his rats with energy and a sense of purpose. In his studio output, the famous series the features rats  protesting unofficially titled  "The Placard Rats" hold up placards scribbled with the phrases "Welcome to Hell", "Get Out While You Can" and "Because I'm Worthless" phrases that create a sense of menace. Elsewhere, we see "Love Rat" - a phrase commonly given to a cheat - with an artist rat drawing a blook red heart as ink spills across the page.  Radar Rat, which also appeared as a street part, can be read as the overarching reach of the state and how we are living in a surveillance state. Finally, the most recent release, Rat Clock which formed part of his GDP pop-up, is a commentary on the rat race that is 21st century life.

The Inspiration For Banksy's Rats

Banksy's fondness for rats is often credited to the influence of French stencil artist Blek le Rat, who is widely recognized as the pioneer of stencil graffiti and introduced urban art to France during the 1980s, a couple of decades ahead of Banksy. Motivated by a sense of social consciousness, Blek le Rat opted to portray rats as they were "the only free animal in the city."

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