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during his tenure as artist in residence at the Quin hotel. Collectively entitled "Escaping Paris", the exhibit was curated by DK Johnston of The Arts Fund. The Quin's permanent collection also includes Blek le Rat's "Love
America" on the 14th floor and loaned works the "Great Wedding" on the second
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In 2014, Blek le Rat exhibited 3 large-scale original paintings and an edition of 25 unique monotypes with lithography in a setting that bridges these traditional spaces—the Quin hotel in New York City—as part of the hotel's Quin Arts program. The artist created the lithographs at the
146:" movements, the main motivation of his work being social consciousness and the desire to bring art to the people. Many of his pieces are pictorials of solitary individuals in opposition to larger, oppressive groups. In 2006 he began his series of images representing
139:, with the connection to Blek and his artwork being made by police. From that point on, he has worked exclusively with pre-stenciled posters, citing the speedier application of the medium to walls, as well as lessened punishment should he be caught in the act.
166:. Blek's work is hugely influential to the present generation of street artists, as alluded to by Banksy, stating: "Every time I think I've painted something slightly original, I find out that Blek Le Rat has done it as well. Only twenty years earlier".
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Blek began his artwork in 1981, painting stencils of rats on the walls of Paris streets. He described the rat as "the only free animal in the city", and one which "spreads the plague everywhere, just like street art". His name originates from the
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His
American gallery debut took place at Subliminal Projects Gallery in Los Angeles in 2008. It included paintings, silkscreen, and three-dimensional artwork, as well as photography from his wife, Sybille Prou.
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Blek le Rat has nonetheless expressed preference for the streets over galleries, stating the integrity of an artist is to be seen by as many people as possible, not being sold or recognized in a museum.
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In
October 2003, Blek le Rat had his first solo U.K. exhibition in London at the Leonard Street Gallery. He participated in the Cans Festival in 2008, which featured outdoor street stencil painting in
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floor, "What Has Been Seen Cannot Be Unseen" in the boardroom, and "Tango" in the lobby. Most recently, Blek le Rat commemorated this collaboration on the Quin's façade with an image of Andy Warhol.
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of New York City after a visit in 1971, he chose a style which he felt better suited Paris, due to the differing architecture of the two cities. He also recognised the influence of
Canadian artist
211:(The sky is blue, life is beautiful), featured wooden panels, canvas, screen-print, and photographs, tracing the artist's oeuvre from the early 1980s to the present.
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and Blek have expressed mutual desire for collaboration; in 2011, Blek was seen adding to a mural begun the previous year by Banksy in the
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French authorities identified Blek in 1991 when he was arrested while stencilling a replica of
Caravaggio's
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Xavier Prou (Blek le Rat) at the gallery opening and book signing at the 941 Geary
Gallery, San Francisco
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artist. He was one of the first graffiti artists in Paris, and has been described as the "Father of
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Blek also had an exhibition in
December 2009 at the Metro Gallery in
110:'s . Blek's oldest preserved street art graffito, a 1991 replica of
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178:"Sheep" by Blek le Rat at Subliminal Projects Gallery, Los Angeles
129:"Ballerina" by Blek le Rat at the 941 Geary Gallery, San Francisco
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486:"Forget Banksy: Meet Blek Le Rat, The Father Of Stencil Graffiti"
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623:"Blek Le Rat" The 30 Year Anniversary Retrospective (2011)
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He has had a great influence on today's graffiti-art and "
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Wall piece by street artist Blek Le Rat saved in
Leipzig
412:. UK Street Art. 29 July 2008. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
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Canned Goods – Blek Le Rat
Interview (September '08)
1111:"Blek le Rat" The 30 Year Anniversary Retrospective
424:. Artsation. 15 April 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
436:"Exclusive Interview: Blek le Rat on Homelessness"
1114:. Art Publishing Ltd. p. 156. Archived from
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590:Blek Le Rat, Art Plugged Interview (March,2023)
282:"Blek le Rat, the man who gave birth to Banksy"
568:Blek le Rat: 30 Year Anniversary Retrospective
540:by Tristan Manco. Thames & Hudson (2002).
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511:"Quin Arts, Artist in Residence: Blek le Rat"
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61:Xavier Prou was born on 15 November 1951 in
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77:The iconic stencils of rats by Blek le Rat
463:"Blek le Rat meets Banksy in the Mission"
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551:Blek le Rat – Getting Through the Walls
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484:Robehmed, Natalie (20 October 2014).
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390:, Issue 11. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
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280:Januszczak, Waldemar (8 June 2008).
208:"Le Ciel Est Bleu, La Vie Est Belle"
909:Hong Kong (Free Ai Weiwei campaign)
342:Gilewicz, Samantha (4 April 2008).
310:"Blek le Rat: This is not a Banksy"
13:
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434:Soteriou, Helen (4 January 2010).
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154:Influence on and opinion of Banksy
98:Initially influenced by the early
18:French graffiti artist (born 1952)
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570:. Art Publishing Limited. (2011).
65:in the western suburbs of Paris.
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164:Mission District, San Francisco
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613:Fecal Face interview (04/2008)
557:. Thames & Hudson (2008).
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438:. Juxtapoz.com. Archived from
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346:. Nylonmag.com. Archived from
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1:
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1019:Sarajevo Street Art Festival
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461:Wong, Vic (17 March 2011).
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978:Palestine (West Bank Wall)
903:São Paulo (Beco do Batman)
603:Curbs and Stoops Interview
344:"The insider: blek le rat"
69:Early career and influence
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380:18 September 2008 at the
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186:Blek le Rat, London, 2008
158:British graffiti artist
1135:French graffiti artists
1024:Sarasota Chalk Festival
1014:Pasadena Chalk Festival
608:Grafiteros – ElPais.com
316:. London. 19 April 2008
221:New York Academy of Art
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963:Sydney (Newtown area)
895:Southeastern Brazil (
408:18 April 2011 at the
403:Blek Le Rat interview
254:List of urban artists
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1150:Pseudonymous artists
1092:Category: Street art
889:Berlin (Berlin Wall)
553:by Sybille Prou and
465:. Missionmission.org
350:on 27 September 2011
122:, Germany, in 2012.
91:, using "rat" as an
63:Boulogne-Billancourt
45:, 1952) is a French
1155:Artists from Paris
442:on 28 October 2011
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38:[blɛkləʁa]
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1040:Built environment
999:The Cans Festival
563:978-0-500-28735-4
136:Madonna and Child
116:Madonna di Loreta
104:Richard Hambleton
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1118:on 4 March 2016.
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919:Northern Ireland
825:Lists of artists
786:Stencil graffiti
776:Reverse graffiti
713:Installation art
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597:Boygirl Magazine
595:2013 Interview,
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583:Official website
538:Stencil Graffiti
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515:theQuinhotel.com
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683:Culture jamming
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1060:Street party
1050:Public space
1004:Living Walls
939:Philadelphia
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806:Yarn bombing
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518:. Retrieved
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440:the original
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373:Reiss, Jon.
352:. Retrieved
348:the original
318:. Retrieved
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148:the homeless
144:guerilla-art
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100:graffiti-art
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1145:1952 births
1070:Visual arts
1009:See No Evil
948:Balmy Alley
791:Sticker art
697:terminology
375:Blek le Rat
170:Exhibitions
95:for "art".
88:Blek le Roc
43:Xavier Prou
30:Blek le Rat
1129:Categories
1045:Public art
994:Beton Fest
811:Wheatpaste
734:Subway Art
718:Propaganda
659:Street art
520:27 October
495:27 October
446:4 November
265:References
259:Street art
249:King Robbo
194:, London.
112:Caravaggio
84:comic book
57:Early life
34:pronounced
1075:Vandalism
924:Melbourne
893:Brazil (
816:Wildstyle
801:Throw ups
703:Handstyle
203:Melbourne
958:Sarajevo
933:5 Pointz
897:pichação
879:Adelaide
837:Graffiti
693:Graffiti
673:Activism
555:King Adz
469:29 March
406:Archived
378:Archived
354:29 March
294:26 April
290:. London
228:See also
192:Waterloo
47:graffiti
1033:Related
973:Toronto
884:Atlanta
842:Stencil
796:Tagging
666:Culture
387:Swindle
120:Leipzig
93:anagram
41:; born
1090:
987:Events
968:Tehran
872:Places
832:Street
771:Poster
766:Pieces
561:
544:
490:Forbes
320:21 May
234:Banksy
160:Banksy
761:Mural
744:Types
914:Kyiv
559:ISBN
542:ISBN
522:2014
497:2014
471:2011
448:2011
356:2011
322:2008
296:2010
114:'s
108:VLP
53:".
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