At the apex are those writers who create the imposing wildstyle exhibition pieces, large-scale vivid inscriptions that require a high degree of graphic invention and daring. They are the only ‘free’ animal in the city – they can help each other, can tell the time, and are the only thing that will survive after the Great Flood.Contemporary graffiti artists, or ‘writers’ as they are known, observe a strict hierarchy that self-ranks ambition, daring and calligraphic innovation. I have studied their lives, they are incredible. As ever, his trademark symbol of the rat is also present in the collection, appearing as a central figure within several of the pieces, where it can be seen in turn holding a gun, a microphone, and a spray can.Ĭommenting on the enduring presence of the rat within his work, Prou explains, “I love rats. “His spirit was behind me.” Flower Power Bloody SundayĮlsewhere are pieces that symbolise the artist’s thoughts on the current state of the world, including an artwork titled Society’s Time Bomb and one titled The Red Leopard, both of which hint at an impending state of crisis and the nearing of what Prou refers to as “the third world war”. “I really felt, when I was working, that my hand was guided by Richard,” he adds. Within the 37 works that are currently on show at Woodbury House is a large scale triptych that memorialises the figure of Hambleton and serves as testament to his enduring influence on Prou’s practice. “He was the first graphic artist to export his work abroad and, after seeing it in Paris in 1983, he became a big inspiration for me.” “I wanted to make a tribute to my favourite street artist,” says Prou. Prou, of course, has his own artistic influences and has drawn heavily on one in particular for this latest exhibition - the late Canadian artist Richard Hambleton, who has long been a source of inspiration for the 72-year-old Parisian. Bansky is even quoted as saying: “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.” The Red Leopard Song For The Dead
Having risen to prominence in the 80s, after he began spraying stencil artworks of rats around his home city of Paris, Prou went on to become an influential figure in the street art scene, inspiring everyone from Banksy to Swoon to Logan Hicks. Showing at Woodbury House in London is The Return of The Rat - the first UK exhibition by iconic French street artist Blek le Rat (born Xavier Prou) in over a decade.
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