Will Ellsworth-Jones – författare

In this richly illustrated landmark book, author and journalist Will Ellsworth-Jones documents the sold, stolen and destroyed works of Banksy, one of the most renowned and controversial artists of our time. This is a book about what you can’t see: the works that have disappeared entirely, whether destroyed by authorities or whisked into people’s private art collections to languish on walls or in collector’s vaults. These remarkable works are as elusive as their creator, but are returned here for public consumption and enjoyment.A victim of his own success, Banksy is famous the world over and yet more famously disdainful of the spotlight, preferring to remain anonymous. Considered by many to be one of the greatest living artists in the world and to others a rogue vandal with a political agenda, Banksy has scandalised and enlightened the art world since his acts of guerrilla art began to appear on the streets of Barton Hill in Bristol over 25 years ago. His artworks can now be found on streets across the globe, adorning the walls of some of the world's most distinguished galleries and even being sold for millions at private auctions. Works unveiled in Banksy's Lost Works include:• The pieces painted on partially destroyed buildings around Kyiv, Ukraine, one of which has already been cut off the wall by a group of locals. • Valentine’s Day Mascara in Margate that has now been restored and housed in Dreamland after several interventions by Thanet District Council.• Banksy’s disappearing rats, an early symbol of the artist routinely painted over by councils when the name Banksy was more synonymous with ‘vandal’ than ‘artist’.This book, showcasing the often mysterious and occasionally mundane disappearances of works by one of the art world's more elusive figures, is a truly indispensable addition to the library of any Banksy fan. Sold, stolen or destroyed, discover Banksy’s works that have disappeared from the wall.

In this fully revised and richly illustrated edition, author and journalist Will Ellsworth-Jones pieces together a complete picture of the life and work of Banksy, perhaps the most iconic, enigmatic and controversial artist of modern times.For someone who shuns the limelight so completely that he conceals his name, never shows his face and gives interviews only by email, Banksy is remarkably famous.This fully updated and illustrated story of Banksy’s life and career builds an intriguing picture of his world and unpicks its contradictions. Whether art or vandalism, anti-establishment or sell-out, Banksy and his work have become a cultural phenomenon and the question ‘Who is Banksy?’ is as much about his career as it is ‘the man behind the wall’.From his beginnings as a Bristol graffiti artist, his artwork is now sold at auction for seven-figure sums and hangs on celebrities’ walls. The appearance of a new Banksy is national news, his documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop was Oscar-nominated and people queue for hours to see his latest exhibition. Now moreNational Treasure than edgy outsider, who is Banksy and how did he become what he is today?This book charts Banksy's journey from the graffiti-scrawled streets of Barton Hill, the working class neighbourhood of Bristol where he and others covered the walls with vibrant pieces while trying to avoid the police, through to some of the most prestigious galleries of the world, where his daring acts of guerilla art have forced us to reconsider how we define as art.From the artist's own words to recollections of friends and colleagues, this book also examines the contradictions of Banksy's life: charting how a privately educated boy from a middle class area of Bristol reinvented himself as a rogue and an outlaw who would take the art world by storm.With beautiful reproductions of some of his most controversial and recognisable works, this detailed study is a truly indispensible guide to understanding the ultimate art rebel whose work is no less relevant today than it was when he first started out some thirty years ago.

For someone who shuns the limelight so completely that he conceals his name, never shows his face and gives interviews only by email, Banksy is remarkably famous. From his beginnings as a Bristol graffiti artist, his artwork is now sold at auction for six-figure sums and hangs on celebrities’ walls. The appearance of a new Banksy is national news, his documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop was Oscar-nominated and people queue for hours to see his latest exhibition. Now more National Treasure than edgy outsider, who is Banksy and how did he become what he is today?In the first attempt to tell the full story of Banksy’ s life and career, Will Ellsworth-Jones pieces together a picture of his world and unpicks its contradictions. Whether art or vandalism, anti-establishment or sell-out, Banksy and his work have become a cultural phenomenon and the question ‘ Who is Banksy?’ is as much about his career as it is ‘ the man behind the wall’ .'Britain's unlikeliest national treasure' Independent  ‘ A fascinating portrait that elicits admiration for a man who, despite his increasingly unconvincing efforts to retain some shred of his vandal status, has had an undeniable impact on art’ The Times