Keith Harring vs. Banksy?

Question

Who's the better graffiti based artist?
Do you think someone is better than either?

please spare me any and all diatribes on how grafitti isn't art, etc.

Answer 1

I think this is a funny comparison. haring is hailed as having helped push the graffiti movement forward when it was first starting up, while banksy is a contemporary artist who is arguably not actually a graffiti artist more than actually a street artist. yes, there are similarities, but there are definite differences.

haring made it a point to keep his figures from having gender or race so that everyone could relate. while banksy (obviously) generally has very political reasons for doing what he does. haring was only political in the sense that he used his art to help educate people about the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

I think this is an unfair comparison and one that you can't really have a solid answer for. you're asking about two amazing artists who were influencial in very different time periods and had very different styles. I think you'd have more luck comparing two artists of the same time period. ie. haring and basquiat, or banksy and OBEY or banksy and disposable hero.

anyway those are my two pennies.

Answer 2

Banksy purely for the reason i have acctually seen his work, while on a college trip.
I had a quick look at Harring's work which is also good but i prefer Banksy's work.
Graffitti can be it probably depends on what it it, for example spraying your name across a wall isn't art but work like Banksy's is.

Answer 3

Banksy but both are v v good

Answer 4

I think that they are both important, but they work(ed) in different decades, I think their contributions and commentary are equally important within their particular times.