Blek le Rat Exhibition

A Blek le Rat exhibition celebrates over 25 years of the godfather of stencil graffiti at the Black Rat Gallery in May. One of the most influential street artists of his time, Blek le Rat, aka Xavier Prou is also named as the man that inspired Banksy.

Showing at the same time as the launch of his new book, the Blek le Rat exhibition brings together images from the street that the artist has been creating for many years. Starting on the streets of Paris in 1981, Blek has influenced a whole new generation of street and graffiti artists who now cover the urban landscape with their signature illustrations and paintings.

Although everyone from your granny to your five year old niece can babble on about Banksy until the cows come home, not everyone is so familiar with his predcessor on the graffiti art scene. Having been key in turning the political slogans of graffiti into the fresh new language of political art as early as the eighties, Blak le Rat had a profound influence on everyone on the street art scene, with Banksy citing him as someone with the same mindset, who simply got there twenty years earlier.

Blek le Rat: Getting Through Walls is the book published by Thames and Hudson that shows several of his iconic pieces of art, alongside work from the beginning of his career right up to the present day. To celebrate the book launch the Blek le Rat exhibition also showcases many of the more famous pieces, with a number of prints which will be available to buy from the gallery.

With this being largest show to date, the Blek le Rat exhibition proves how far street art has come. With the likes of Banksy and Blek exhibiting their work and even selling off art at more mainstream auction houses, graffiti art is no longer just for the politically active on the streets. Changing the urban landscape around us and making us think differently about politics, you can see the history of Blek le Rat's work at the Blek le Rat exhibition until the end of the month.

The launch night takes place from 6pm on Thursday 8th May at Black Rat Gallery. Getting through Walls is published by Thames and Hudson, priced £11.95.

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