Blek le Rat

A pioneer of graffiti writers in Europe, Blek le Rat was one of the first people to use stencils for creating art on the street, using icons instead of writing his name. He was first exposed to graffiti in 1971, in New York, but didn't start making his own until ten years later, in Paris. Inspired by a stenciled portrait of Mussolini, which he saw during a trip to Italy among WWII ruins, he created a silhouette of a rat running along the streets. He stenciled the rat for two years and quickly became recognized around Paris. This marked a monumental break from the dominance of New York's graffiti style. His method of creating image based art to complement the classical architecture within the context of European cityscapes changed the face of urban art and still continues to greatly influence younger generations of artists around the world. The artist’s new monograph, entitled Blek le Rat—Getting Through the Walls, published by Thames + Hudson, beautifully documents his entire artistic career, over the past twenty-five years.

	Jonathan LeVine Gallery Five Year Anniversary Group exhibition Feb 27 thru Mar 27, 2010
	Blek Le Rat Paris-New York, New York-Paris Gallery II Solo Exhibition Oct 18 thru Nov 15, 2008
	THE STREETS OF EUROPE New Works and Installations by: Blek Le Rat, Blu, Bo130, D*Face Microbo, and Space Invader Dec 1 thru Dec 29, 2007