French street artist Blek Le Rat is known as the father of stencil graffiti, a name he has earned through years of spray painting unforgetta...
French street artist Blek Le Rat is known as the father of stencil graffiti, a name he has earned through years of spray painting unforgettable figures on walls across the globe. In the early '80s, Blek became one of the first street artists in Paris, known for his iconic rat stencil. His stencil technique has since been adopted by some of the biggest names in graffiti and street art today, including Brooklyn-based brothers Icy and Sot as well as Banksy. In fact, Banksy once said, “Every time I think I've painted something slightly original, I find out that Blek le Rat has done it as well, only 20 years earlier.”nnIn the video above, Blek names Banksy as one of the contemporary artists he admires along with Shepard Fairey and Swoon. He also talks about what drives him to paint the streets at night, the origin of his graffiti name, and the hardships artists working in his medium face. Follow Blek through the subways and street corners of New York in the video above.nnSubscribe to Complex for More: http://goo.gl/PJeLOlnCheck out more of Complex here:nhttp://www.complex.comnhttps://twitter.com/ComplexMagnhttps://www.facebook.com/complexnhttp://instagram.com/complexmagnhttps://plus.google.com/+complex/nnEntertaining videos that bring to life Complex Media's authoritative take on trendsetting music, sneakers, style, pop culture, video games, tech, cars, and art—featuring your favorite celebrities from the past, present, and future. COMPLEX is a community of creators and curators, armed with the Internet, and committed to surfacing and sharing the voices and conversations—both multi-culture and multicultural—that define our new America. We make culture pop.nnBlek Le Rat Legendary French Street Artist on Banksy & Swoon from Complex. Less
