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Blek Le Rat Art

French, b. 1951
Born 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. During a trip to the United States in 1971, Blek was introduced to the ‘wild style’ graffiti prevalent in New York City, which left a lasting impression on him. Inspired by what he saw in New York, Blek began painting the streets of Paris in 1981, choosing a different technique – the stencil – as more appropriate for the French architecture. Blek’s first stencils were black rats, seen to be running along the walls throughout the centre of Paris. The rat, also an anagram for ‘art’, is in Blek’s mind “the only animal to survive the apocalypse“. In 1983 Blek began to paint life-size stencils, which alongside his rats, have become his trademark and have influenced generations of street artists around the world. Blek considers his images as gifts to the cities of the world, raising awareness of social issues. His heroes are solitary individuals crossing through the urban space – women, children, the elderly and other contemporary figures in an urban city. Dedicated to the idea of bringing art to the people, Blek often quotes the old masters like Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Guido Reni and Leonardo da Vinci. “I want the characters of the paintings to walk out of the museums to give them back to the people of the city” he says. In the mid 2000s, Blek’s work evolved to become more overtly political. Following the kidnapping of French journalist Florence Aubenas in Iraq, Blek pasted hundreds of prints of her image around Paris. Her portrait appeared everywhere, from her work place at Libération, next to cafés and offices of major newspapers. This activation aimed to attract the attention of the media and politicians to raise awareness of her situation. This body of work was a defining moment for Blek, who says, “I became aware of my power and responsibilty as an artist working in the public space“. That same year, Blek began a series portraying beggars on the street, aiming to shed light on the issue of homelessness. Blek paints the same portrait of a young beggar around the world, from Europe, to the United States to Australia, to challenge authorities, because “sometimes images have a bigger impact than reality“.
(Biography provided by Art Gallery Arterego)
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Artist: Blek Le Rat
BLEK LE RAT The Man Who Walks Through Walls (Special Edition Box Set)
By Blek Le Rat
Located in Englishtown, NJ
Wonderful Special Edition of Blek Le Rat The Man Who Walks Through Walls. Comes complete with Screenprint, custom box and Blek Le Rat’s book, Getting Through The Walls. Self portrait...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Blek Le Rat Art

Materials

Screen

Danseuse Blue Green
By Blek Le Rat
Located in Austin, TX
Acrylic and Aerosol on Linen Hand-signed on bottom right corner of recto
Category

2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art

Materials

Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic

Classik Box
By Blek Le Rat
Located in Dallas, TX
Classikbox – 2016 by Blek the rat Art casing – Ed.100 Containing 3 serigraphs Ed.100 The man who walks through walls / Madonna and Child / Beggar Screen-p...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Blek Le Rat Art

Materials

Plexiglass, Screen

Man Who Walks Through Walls
By Blek Le Rat
Located in Tbilisi, GE
Screenprint in colours on 300gsm Somerset Satin white paper - Published by Black Rat Press Edition of 250 Hand Signed
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Blek Le Rat Art

Materials

Silk

Dog & Pony Show
By Blek Le Rat
Located in Austin, TX
Spray Paint and Acrylic on Linen Hand-signed on lower left recto
Category

2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art

Materials

Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic

4 Danseuse Colour
By Blek Le Rat
Located in Austin, TX
Acrylic and Spray Paint on Linen Hand-signed on lower right recto
Category

2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art

Materials

Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic

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Blek Le Rat art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Blek Le Rat art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Blek Le Rat in acrylic paint, paint, synthetic resin paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the street art style. Not every interior allows for large Blek Le Rat art, so small editions measuring 12 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of J.M. Robert, Alec Monopoly, and Fabien Rocca. Blek Le Rat art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,200 and tops out at $63,500, while the average work can sell for $47,500.

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