As Banksy announces their first art exhibition in 14 years, opening tomorrow at the Gallery of Modern Art, we remember the artists’ first exhibition in Glasgow that arrived at a defining point in the artist’s career. Banksy began as a freehand graffiti artist in Bristol from 1990 to 1994. During this time he met Bristol photographer Steve Lazarides who began selling Banksy’s artwrok.
By 2000, their chosen medium was stencilling ensuring a quick installation process. The striking and subversive images and slogans that established Banksy’s global reputation in the art work began to emege.
A year before the first Banksy exhibition in Los Angeles, and two years before the Turf War exhibition in a London warehouse that featured subverted paintings and Union Flag motifs, the artist was in Glasgow.
Exhibition photographs by Steve Lazarides.
5. Banksy in Glasgow
Steve Lazarides’ photograph of a Banksy stencil at Royal Exchange Square in 2001. The artist returns 22 years later as one of the most famous artists of the 21st century. | Banksy
6. Banksy
Steve Lazarides takes up the story as he shares images of the exhibition: “Seeing as virtually no-one ever saw Banksy’s joint show with the bloke who did the Sex Pistols art, I thought I’d let you make up your minds what difference 20 odd years makes.” | Banksy
7. Inside The Arches
“It was a different time for sure. I drove and helped install the show, I had Banksy in the van along with his pal who turned up hitting rocks off a can, not a great start!”
8. It was a different time
“Couple this with the fact, it’s showing heavily, there were burning carcasses the whole length of the drive and a major rail disaster along the way, it felt like Armageddon had arrived.” | Banksy