Published on : SUNDAY TIMES Blek le Rat is the grand old man of street art — he paved the way for our very own Banksy. After years of dodging the French authorities he’s finally making serious money. But is he still a revolutionary? Portraits by Pal Hansen “Have you ever made some graffiti?” asks Blek le Rat in his …

Published on : CULTURE TRIP For the time being, forget Banksy; let’s talk about Blek, the man who gave birth to many of the world’s most famous street artists today. One of the most influential pioneers of street art, Blek le Rat mastered and originated the art of the stencil graffiti long before anyone else did, and has gone on …

Published on : THE AGE IS disciples call him ”the godfather” of stencil graffiti, but for 58-year-old Parisian-born Blek le Rat – who takes his name from the small black rodents he painted around Paris some 30 years ago – it’s a term of endearment rather than a title implying omnipotence. ”A British artist called Pure Evil gave me this …

Published on : FORBES “I have a half moon and a star, this is the sign of my family,” says street artist Blek Le Rat, real name Xavier Prou, gesturing to the gold signet ring adorning his right hand. We are comparing jewelry: my band includes my initials in Arabic, while his bears the crest of his aristocratic family. It’s an …

Published on : A PILE OF THINGS Xavier Prou transformed himself into the artist Blek le Rat when he began his career in the year 1981 by remodeling the city streets of Paris and ultimately creating a name for himself as the ‘Godfather’ of stencil graffiti art (King & Prou 2008). At a time when graffiti was unfamiliar to the …

Published on : NEW YORK TIMES ON Monday morning, the street artist known as Blek le Rat, considered the godfather of stencil graffiti art, set out to create his latest work on a wall opposite the Standard Hotel on West 13th Street. Mr. le Rat (né Xavier Prou) has been spray-painting his tag on monuments and street corners since 1981, …