Brian Banks

Profile edited with CricketSoda's Myspace Editor Coming Soon: BrianBanks.comBrian Banks was born in Millington, Tennessee and found it so agreeable that he saw fit to leave the state at the ripe age of six months. Traveling with a band of gypsies his father liked to call “the Navy” Brian spent his formative years on the run, moving from state to state, safe house to safe house. It is thought that because of this nomadic existence Brian developed as a lonely child, shy, introverted, un-athletic and with an eye for detail; traits that would, ironically, suit him ideally for a career in the visual arts. After an award winning elementary school career and gaining widespread recognition within his high school as the best “drawer”, Brian somehow conned his way into the Rhode Island School of Design where he discovered, much to his horror, that he was indeed - a mere "illustrator". It was also there that the young artist learned how to trust his creative instinct, stick it to "the man” and beg for food. Upon graduation, Brian wandered the earth (East Coast) seeking creative fulfillment in a variety of lackluster day jobs before finally settling down as a graphic artist. Often described as an asshole in his youth, but in reality just misunderstood, the artist was, not surprisingly, drawn to the high-end screen print industry, the pinnacle of graphic art. In the span of just a few short years, earlier achievements and educational instruction were undone before his eyes or forgotten altogether. His self-esteem shattered, and unable to trust his own judgment any longer, Brian has returned to his first passion, and ultimately his salvation, painting; in a last-ditch effort to make sense of his shattered dreams and wasted youth. Painting in a style he once referred to as neo-atavistic realism, Brian painstakingly recreates scenes of daily life in the ancient world, often incorporating familiar objects and themes from the present to create a juxtaposition of time and values in his socially satirical work. Humor is employed as a means to an end in order to engage the unsuspecting viewer as a witness to the artist’s observations. Inspired by all cultures of the ancients, particularly those of the Maya, Aztec, and Polynesians, Brian is slowly melding aspects of each into one homogonous people to better highlight the lack of differences we have among ourselves and to illustrate his belief that for all of our technological advances, man’s nature has, in fact, not evolved. When not openly mocking our culture or watching TV, Brian can be found in his palatial shoebox of a studio, located in rural Virginia, looking at reference material, sleeping, entertaining guests, thrashing around on the floor and yes, at times, actually painting."Do Not Pass Go - Do Not Collect $200..." (oil on canvas, 60"x48", unframed)"Just A Little Off The Top" (oil on canvas, 30"x40", unframed)"Elvis Bob (It's Good To Be The King)" (oil on canvas, 30"x40", unframed)"What Can Brown Do For You?" (oil on canvas, 48"x60", unframed)"Moe's Moai" (oil on canvas, 30"x40", unframed)"Will You Swallow If I Tell You That I Love You?" (oil on canvas, 60"x48", unframed)"Chez Fred (Tad y Johnna)" (oil on canvas, 30"x40", unframed)"Take Five (Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em)" (oil on canvas, 60"x48", unframed)"Nasty Dogs And Funky Kings" (oil on canvas, 60"x48", unframed)"The Mummy Guy" (oil on canvas, 54"x48", unframed)