10 Banksy Quotes from “Wall and Piece” Book

Banksy’s fourth book, “Wall and Piece,” was published in 2005 by Century. Upon opening the book, readers are greeted with a colourful collection of stencil art, vandalism, quotes, and commentary, including‘an exhibition’of his work at the Tate Gallery in London.

The book includes some of Banksy’s most insightful and inspiring quotes, with topics ranging from politics and capitalism to art and society. In this editorial, we have selected ten of his most notable quotes from the book mixed with some of Banksy’s murals from the last two decades that will inspire you.

1

“I got home at last and crawled into bed next to my girlfriend. I told her I’d had an epiphany that night [about using stencils] and she told me to stop taking that drug ‘cos it’s bad for your heart.”

2

“‘There’s no way you’re going to get a quote from us to use on your book cover.’ — Metropolitan Police Spokesperson”

3

“People say graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish. But that’s only if it’s done properly.”

4

“You can win the rat race but you’re still a rat.”

5

“Remember crime against property is not real crime. People look at an oil painting and admire the use of brushstrokes to convey meaning. People look at a graffiti painting and admire the use of a drainpipe to gain access.”

6

“I like to think I have the guts to stand up anonymously in a western democracy and call for things no-one else believes in—like peace and justice and freedom.”

Purchase artwork here

7

“Some people become cops because they want to make the world a better place, some people become vandals because they want to make the world a better looking place.”

8

“Conversations don’t get any better as you get older.”

9

“After sticking up the picture I took five minutes to watch what happened next. A sea of people walked up, stared and left looking confused and slightly cheated. I felt like a true modern artist.”

10

“I need someone to protect me from all the measures they take in order to protect me.”

Wall and Piece

Title: Wall and Piece – a play on ‘War and Peace’ a literary work by Russian author Leo Tolstoy.

Dimensions: soft cover 215 x 265 mm

Medium: Collectible book authored by Banksy published in soft and hard cover.

Pages: 240 pages

Published: Century

Editions: The first edition was published in 2005.

Official Banksy Books

Five official Banksy books have been released to date. Banksy released three pocket-sized paper books titled “Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall” book (2001), “Existstencilism” book (2002) and “CUT IT OUT” book (2004). Then, “Wall and Piece” (2005), which contains a lot of information from the previous books, and his most recent book that went with his Glasgow exhibition of the same name “, Cut And Run” (2023).

All image copyright Banksy

Comments

comments