Blek le Rat

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Blek le Rat

Blek la Rat Began painting stencils of rats on the street walls of Paris in 1981. He believed that the rat was "the only free animal in the city, and spreads the plague, everywhere just like street art."

He started out his interest in graffiti and street art when he visited New York City in 1971, and was inspired by Richard Hamilton, who painted large-scale human figures in the 1980s. Blek la Rats inspiration came from wall painting in America, by American artists. Blek la Rats art has a huge influence on American culture simply because his ideas came from American artists and inspired him to carry American cultures to Paris.

Blek influenced French culture by creating a new type of interesting street art, using something repulsive such as rats and the plague to catch the attention of the French community. He inspired other such street artists throughout the walls of Paris.

The Major theme Blek focuses on is as I said freedom, he demonstrates this through his rats who have unparalleled freedom in the sprawl of Paris.

The Name Blek le Rat comes from his brake out stencils, of rats, which he used as a medium to spread like the plague across Paris.