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
8,886
2,810
1,331
1,319
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
$2,880 Sale Price
20% Off
Related Items
Bad Reputation, Black - Shepard Fairey Obey Contemporary Screen Print Urban Art
By Shepard Fairey
Located in Draper, UT
Bad Reputation (Black) on Speckle Tone Paper. 18 x 24 inches. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 83/350.
My Obey “Bad Reputation” print is inspired by music graphics, especially punk and new wave album sleeves, t-shirts, and flyers. I love the Xerox machine with spot color approach to a lot of those graphics that married the rough and crude side of financial and artistic limitations with an intuitive and clever ability to craft subversive, eye-catching images. Some of the edges of this imagery and text are intentionally rough and imperfect… if slick and clean are your bag, you might want to skip this one baby! See if you can spot the references to musicians like the New York Dolls...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
Hello My Name Is - Shepard Fairey Obey Contemporary Print
By Shepard Fairey
Located in Draper, UT
Hello My Name Is. 18 x 24 inches. Screenprint on cream Speckletone Paper. 18 x 24 inches. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 550.
From the Artist - "I have been looking ...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
THE WALL BLUE (KEITH HARING)
By Mr. Brainwash
Located in Aventura, FL
Screen print and spray paint on hand torn archival art paper. Hand signed and numbered on front, thumb print on verso by the artist. Edition 19/75. Artwork size 30 x 22 inches. F...
Category
Early 2000s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Paper, Screen
Madre (Mother), dazzling Silkscreen w/ crystallina (diamond dust) hand signed/n
By RETNA
Located in New York, NY
RETNA
Madre (Mother), 2023
Silkscreen and crystallina (diamond dust) on Coventry rag paper
Hand signed and numbered by RETNA from the limited edition of only 75 on the front (41/75)
...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Glitter, Screen
$6,800
H 40 in W 25.25 in
The Aeroplane, 1984 - Original Handsigned Screen Print
By Yvon Taillandier
Located in Paris, IDF
Yvon TAILLANDIER
The Aeroplane, 1984
Original screen print
Handsigned in pencil
Justified E.A (Artist's proof)
On paper 64 x 45 cm (c. 25.1 x 17.7 in)
Very good condition, slight...
Category
1980s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
$296
H 25.2 in W 17.72 in
Shepard Fairey ICE-T OG Blue Screenprint Contemporary Street Rap Art Obey Giant
By Shepard Fairey
Located in Draper, UT
Baby Blue Edition
Edition Details:
Year: 2016
Class: Art Print
Status: Official
Released: 11/15/16
Run: 103/300
Technique: Screen Print
Paper: Cream Speckle Tone paper with gold metallic Inks.
Size: 18 X 24
Markings: Signed & Numbered in pencil by the artist's Shepard Fairey, ICE-T & Glen Friedman...
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
Not All Heroes Wear Capes (framed hand signed serigraph)
Located in Aventura, FL
4 layer serigraph on TW Graphic Ink on Coventry Rag vellum paper with deckled edges. Hand signed lower right by Kai. Hand numbered 264/643 lower left. Artwork size: 20 x 20 inches...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Paper, Screen
$2,212 Sale Price
25% Off
H 26.75 in W 26.75 in D 1 in
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
'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
$595 Sale Price
30% Off
H 24.25 in W 24.25 in D 0.1 in
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
$1,200
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
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.