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“.to
1
2
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
8,199
2,807
2,504
1,663
2
Artist: Blek Le Rat
The Man Who Walks Through Walls (Special Edition Print 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
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
Related Items
Ruth Bader Ginsburg "A Champion of Justice" Shepard Fairey Roe VS. Wade
By Shepard Fairey
Located in Draper, UT
Original Photo by Ruven Afanador.
"Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a hero of mine because she was a low-key radical. She encountered gender discrimination in her personal life which she over...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
'VIPERTEEN' - Screenprint signed and dated by Prefab77
By Prefab77
Located in Palm Desert, CA
'Viperteen' - Screen Print by Prefab77
Size: 24.25 x 24.25 inches / 61,6 x 61,6 cm
Published on 21st of June 2017
Edition of 25
5 color Screen Print on Fabriano 250gsm cotton paper
...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
LA Fingers Gold Diamond Dust Edition Estevan Oriol Print Los Angeles BTS Street
Located in Draper, UT
Medium
Print
Condition
Print is in Pristine Condition and has been stored flat since purchase in 2019. Four sharp corners and in Mint Condition.
Signature
Hand-signed by artist, Hand signed and numbered in Pencil by the Artist, Estevan Oriol...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Gold
Arab Woman Gold (2007), Screen Print, Limited Edition of 300
By Shepard Fairey
Located in Palm Desert, CA
'Arab Woman Gold' by Shepard Fairey, 2007
18 x 24 inches (45 x 61 cm)
Screen Print on Fine Art Paper.
Limited edition of 300 (AP)
Hand-signed and dat...
Category
Early 2000s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
H 24 in W 18 in D 0.1 in
Ben Frost George Orwell 1984 Blotter Paper Signed & Numbered Street Art Acid
By Ben Frost
Located in Draper, UT
Archival Pigment Print on Perforated Blotter Paper
This run comes signed & numbered by the artist and with a Certificate of Authenticity from 1XRUN.
Th...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
Shepard Fairey Flavor Flav Screen Pint On Sustainable Birchwood Signed by Flav
By Shepard Fairey
Located in Draper, UT
LA Art Show exclusive fine art wood print on 1/2" sustainable Birch wood, vintage matte finish honoring 2017 award recipients Mel Ramos, Britt Salvesen & Ben Goretsky.
Featuring ar...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
The Future is Unwritten Collage Shepard Fairey Screen Print Obey Giant
By Shepard Fairey
Located in Draper, UT
Manufacturer:
Obey Giant
Edition Details:
Year: 2021
Run: 151 out of 300
Technique: Screen Print
Paper: 80lb Cream French Speckletone
Size: 18 X 24
Markings: Signed & Numbered
Publis...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
The 3 Sirens 24 Color Screen Print Signed and Numbered
By HUSH
Located in Palm Desert, CA
The 3 Sirens (2012) by HUSH
24 colour Screen Print + 2 varnishes on 300gsm Somerset Velvet.
Collage pattern emboss in image & crest
600mm x 600mm with 30mm border
Limited Edition of ...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
Prefab77 'Heavy Crown' Signed, Limited Edition Print
By Prefab77
Located in San Rafael, CA
Prefab77 (British, 20th c.)
Heavy Crown
Archival pigment print on luxuriant 300gsm Somerset art paper
Edition of 100
Signed in plate lower left. Signed by artist in white ink with embossed artist's stamp lower right
Unframed: 29. 3/4in H x 22in L
*Framed image is for inspirational purposes only
Prefab77 a.k.a. Peter Manning...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Archival Paper, Screen
Falling For You
By Eric Orr
Located in North Adams, MA
"Falling for You," Eric Orr, 2022
Silkscreen on 290 gram Coventry Rag paper
Dimensions: 13 3/4" x 17 1/4"
Signed and numbered by the Artist in pencil
An editio...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
Keith Morris Shepard Fairey Screen Print Signed By Glen Friedman Black Flag Art
By Shepard Fairey
Located in Draper, UT
4 color screen print. Signed by Shepard Fairey, Glen E. Friedman and Keith Morris.
As a founding member of Black Flag and Circle Jerks, songwriter and vocalist Keith Morris was at t...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
PichiAvo "Medusa Rondanini Lefkos" Glow In The Dark Silkscreen Print Street Art
Located in Draper, UT
Medium:
Print
Signature:
Hand-signed by artist in pencil and dated 2022.
Certificate of authenticity
Included (issued by gallery)
Publisher:
Original Limited Edition from PichiAvo....
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
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.