Faile vs. Banksy : an investigation of the unsanctioned urban expression and its development in the transition from the street to the gallery.

Sammanfattning: Through a comparative analysis of works by street artists Faile and Banksy, from both the street and the gallery, I make the point that the field of modern street art is not as homogenous as the media and the established art world often portray it. By differentiating between sub- and counter-cultural agents, I point out the span of social and ideological backgrounds within the street art culture and suggest that these in some cases become manifest within the visual expression of the artist. In this argument my main focus is on the plastic level of the analysed artworks, and the different levels of integration of the artworks and their surroundings. Furthermore I investigate the changes that occur in the artists expression in the transition from the street to the gallery. I make the point that the different backgrounds of the artists, and the subsequent differences in their approach to the unsanctioned urban expression, have consequences for the way that the artist is able to operate within the commercial art world. To support this argument I use biographical material as well as further examples of works by Faile and Banksy.