Rats are not the only subjects in the works by Blek le Rat. Blek le Rat works anonymous until 1991, when he is arrested (and identified) by the French authorities while stencilling a replica of Caravaggio's Madonna and Child. During the eighties, he made in Paris several interventions collaborating with other French street artists. 'Rat' is also an anagram of 'Art', a direct juxtaposition of the animal to Street Art.īlek le Rat is initially influenced by the first works of urban art seen in New York during a trip in 1971. Under the pseudonym 'Blek le Rat', inspired by the Italian comic book 'Blec le Roc', he began to paint rats on the walls of the streets of Paris, using the stencil technique.ĭefined by the artist as 'the only free animal in the city' and one which 'spreads the plague everywhere, just like street art', the rat is the icon of Blek le Rat.

He is still one of the most famous and requested street artists on the market and has a strong influence on the younger generations of street artists, Banksy in primis.īlek le Rat ( Xavier Prou his first name) was born in 1951 in Paris in the Boulogne-Billancourt neighbourhood and in the French capital he began his artistic career in 1981.

Blek le Rat: Art, Works and Biography of the graffiti artistīlek le Rat, graffiti artist born in France, is considered one of the pioneers of international street art as well as the 'father of Stencil Graffiti'.

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