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
1
1
2
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
2
1
1
1
1
2
2
7,735
4,941
2,505
1,363
2
1
1
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
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
Shepard Fairey Burn Baby Burn Letterpress Stencil Screenprint Contemporary Art
By Shepard Fairey
Located in Draper, UT
"Inspired by the aesthetics of 'live fast - die young' rock 'n' roll, is a critique of some harmful habits we are addicted to. Not just the harmful effects of burning fossil fuels, b...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
Cryptik - Rumi - Urban Graffiti Street Art
By Cryptik
Located in Asheville, NC
Cryptik - RUMI - Gold & Black - Urban Graffiti Street Art Screen Print
Inscription:
“We came whirling out of nothingness,
scattering stars like d...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Gold Leaf, Gold
Imagine a World without Arseholes - Contemporary Art
Located in London, GB
Medium: 1 Colour Screenprint on old reclaimed pages from the Bible with a hand-painted background
Year: 2024
Edition: 40
Paper Size: 31.2cm (h) x 23.5cm (w)
Framed Size: 38.5 (h) x 3...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
Ben Frost Blotter Paper Cocaine Just One More Bump! Thumper & Bambi Disney
By Ben Frost
Located in Draper, UT
PROVENANCE
Comes with COA from 1XRUN and an Invoice Receipt from NEW UNION GALLERY.
ADDITIONAL INFO
This RUN comes signed & numbered by the artist, and with a Certificate of Authenti...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
Paint Love by Martin Whatson
By Martin Whatson
Located in New York, NY
Martin Whatson
"Paint Love"
Limited Edition out of 150
24 Layer Screenprint
Signed and Numbered by the artist
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen
"Universal Dignity" Shepard Fairey Screenprint Letterpress Contemporary Street
By Shepard Fairey
Located in Draper, UT
Hand-deckled edges.
"Aims to promote peace, equality, and humanity. I’d like to see a fundamental assumption that ALL people deserve respect and human dignity. This applies to the u...
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
JOHN COLTRANE
Located in Aventura, FL
Screen print on arches cover paper. Hand signed, dated and numbered on front by Frederick J. Brown. From the edition of 175.
Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of au...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Paper, Screen
BANKSQUIAT (BLACK)
By Banksy
Located in Aventura, FL
Screen print on board hand signed and numbered on front in white crayon by Banksy with the artist's blind stamp. Edition 92/300. Frame size approx 32 x 30 inches. Co-published by the artist and Gross Domestic Product
Pest Control certification included. The artwork is in excellent condition. All reasonable offers will be considered.
About the Artist: Banksy (British, born 1974) is a contemporary street artist and activist who, despite his international fame, has maintained an anonymous identity. Aimed as a form of cultural criticism, the artist often targets established social and political agendas with his witty illustrations produced with stencils and spray paint in cities such as New Orleans, New York, and Paris. “The art world is the biggest joke,” he said. “It’s a rest home of the over privileged, the pretentious, and the weak.” Although details of the artist’s life are largely unknown, it is thought that Banksy was born in Bristol, United Kingdom, c. 1974, starting his career as a graffiti artist in the city. Better Out Than In, Banksy’s month-long residency in New York during October 2013, featured a man hawking the artist’s paintings for $60 a piece outside Central Park. In 2015, Banksy opened Dismaland Bemusement Park, a temporary art exhibition that functioned as a theme park. After a 36-day run, its workers and materials were sent to the Calais migrant camp in France to build additional housing. Among the artist's most famous stunts include his shredded painting: When a painting by Banksy was sold at auction for $1.4 million in 2018, a mechanism was triggered to cause the artwork to partially destroy itself, resulting in a new piece titled Love in the Bin (2018). The ongoing question as to who Banksy is continued to reach the headlines when in 2017 Robert Del Naja...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Screen, Board
Madeleine (Hand Finished Grey Copper Leaf Edition)
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand finished 24 color screen print on 330 gsm somerset satin paper with copper leaf mask. Hand signed lower right by Fin DAC. Hand numbered 25/25 lower left. Artwork size 34.6 x ...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Paper, Screen
OSCAR PETERSON
Located in Aventura, FL
Screen print on arches cover paper. Hand signed, dated and numbered on front by Frederick J. Brown. From the edition of 175.
Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of au...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Paper, Screen
SARAH VAUGHN
Located in Aventura, FL
Screen print on arches cover paper. Hand signed, dated and numbered on front by Frederick J. Brown. From the edition of 175.
Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of au...
Category
2010s Street Art Blek Le Rat Art
Materials
Paper, 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.