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Blek Le Rat A French Graffiti Artist
Blek le Rat, born Xavier Prou, 1952, is a French graffiti artist. He was one of the first graffiti artists in Paris, and has been described as the "Father of stencil graffiti". Blek began his artwork in 1981, painting stencils of rats on the walls of Paris streets. He described the rat as "the only free animal in the city", and one which "spreads the plague everywhere, just like street art". His name originates from the comic book Blek le Roc, using "rat" as an anagram for "art". [from wikipedia]
8th at Willamette 2017 Another Vent 2017 Dancers 2017 Graffiti Artist 2017 Guitar Man 2018 Jumping Man 2017 Man With Violin 2018 Mandolin Player 2018 Mission At Erie The Pied Piper 2017 Tug Of War 2017 Vent 2017 Violin 2017
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8th at Willamette 2017, Blek Le Rat, A French Graffiti Artist, 20x21 Project, In Eugene, Oregon

With his case of stencils and a box of art supplies on his shoulder, the Godfather of Stencil Art traversed the streets and alleys of downtown Eugene during his visit. In total, he created ten works of art in the community, though we won't tell you all the locations. Part of the fun is stumbling upon his work on your own.[from 20x21 website]

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Dancers 2017, Blek Le Rat, A French Graffiti Artist, 20x21 Project, In Eugene, Oregon

Ballet is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the 15th century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread, highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary based on French terminology.[from wikipedia]

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Graffiti Artist 2017, Blek Le Rat, A French Graffiti Artist, 20x21 Project, In Eugene, Oregon

Controversies that surround graffiti continue to create disagreement amongst city officials, law enforcement, and writers who wish to display and appreciate work in public locations. There are many different types and styles of graffiti; it is a rapidly developing art form whose value is highly contested and reviled by many authorities while also subject to protection, sometimes within the same jurisdiction.[from wikipedia]

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Guitar Man 2018, Artist: Blek le Rat, Michigan at Marin, San Francisco, California

The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that usually has six strings. It is typically played with both hands by strumming or plucking the strings with either a guitar pick or the finger(s)/fingernails of one hand, while simultaneously fretting (pressing the strings against the frets) with the fingers of the other hand. The sound of the vibrating strings is projected either acoustically, by means of the hollow chamber of the guitar (for an acoustic guitar), or through an electrical amplifier and a speaker.[from wikipedia]

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Jumping Man 2017, Blek Le Rat, A French Graffiti Artist, 20x21 Project, In Eugene, Oregon

Jumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jumping can be distinguished from running, galloping and other gaits where the entire body is temporarily airborne by the relatively long duration of the aerial phase and high angle of initial launch.[from wikipedia]

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Man With Violin 2018, Artist: Blek le Rat, 444 Clementina, San Francisco, California

Clementina alley is a narrow road South of Market in San Francisco. It lay parallel to, and between, Howard Street and Folsom Street. The mural was on the section of Clementina between 5th Street and 6th Street.

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Mandolin Player 2018, Artist: Blek le Rat, University of California, Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, California

A mandolin is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is usually plucked with a plectrum or "pick". It commonly has four courses of doubled metal strings tuned in unison (8 strings), although five (10 strings) and six (12 strings) course versions also exist. The courses are normally tuned in a succession of perfect fifths. It is the soprano member of a family that includes the mandola, octave mandolin, mandocello and mandobass.[from wikipedia]

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Mission At Erie, Blek Le Rat, A French Graffiti Artist, In San Francisco, California

Found on a wall at the back of a parking lot. It was in the middle, flanked on either side by two other murals. It is best viewed during the week when the parking long is open so you can walk inside.

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The Pied Piper 2017, by Blek Le Rat, A French Graffiti Artist, 20x21 Project, In Eugene, Oregon

The Pied Piper of Hamelin (German: Rattenfänger von Hameln, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the titular character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany. The legend dates back to the Middle Ages, the earliest references describing a piper, dressed in multicolored ("pied") clothing, who was a rat-catcher hired by the town to lure rats away with his magic pipe.[from wikipedia]

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Tug Of War 2017, Blek Le Rat, A French Graffiti Artist, 20x21 Project, In Eugene, Oregon

Tug of war (also known as war of tug, tug o' war, tug war, rope war, rope pulling, tugging war or Afrikaans: toutrek) is a sport that directly puts two teams against each other in a test of strength: teams pull on opposite ends of a rope, with the goal being to bring the rope a certain distance in one direction against the force of the opposing team's pull.[from wikipedia]

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Vent 2017, Blek Le Rat, A French Graffiti Artist, 20x21 Project, In Eugene, Oregon

One of the lessor known murals by Blek Le Rat is a vent with a gloved hand emerging as if someone wastrapped inside.

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Another Vent 2017, Artist: Blek Le Rat, A French Graffiti Artist, Eugene, Oregon

Another one of the lessor known murals by Blek Le Rat was a vent with a bare hand inside, as if someone wastrapped inside.

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Violin 2017, Blek Le Rat, A French Graffiti Artist, 20x21 Project, In Eugene, Oregon

Blek le rat initially disagreed with those who claim Banksy has copied his work: "People say he copies me, but I don't think so. I'm the old man, he's the new kid, and if I'm an inspiration to an artist that good, I love it. I feel what he is doing in London is similar to the rock movement in the Sixties."[from wikipedia]


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