An interview with MD of Laser Cutting Services on 'Cut & Run' by stencil artist Banksy

Some of the Laser Cutting Services team were lucky enough to attend the ‘Cut & Run’ exhibition by Banksy last week, which initiated a discussion around stencil artistry with our Managing Director, Sarah Gleave. In this short interview, Sarah explores her thoughts on the exhibition, his art, life & motivations.

Last week you attended the ‘Cut & Run’ exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow (GoMA) why did you decide to attend with the Lasercutit team?

Having laser cut stencils all my working life, I’ve had a natural interest in stencilling as an art and followed Banksy’s work for as long as I can remember.

What piece at the exhibition did you find most interesting and why?

That’s a difficult one, there were so many in the exhibition, that had a strong political message combined with great humour. I loved the story behind the ‘Ants in the elevator’.

What fascinates you about his life, art & motivations for such graffiti art?

It is incredible that after all these years we still don’t know the true identity of Banksy and yet everyone knows his artwork and what he stands for.

Is there something you learnt about Banksy (at Cut & Run) that you didn’t already know?

I realise how much I admire his work, his inspiration and his generosity.

In terms of installation, from your perspective, what challenges does Banksy have to overcome when it comes to using stencils?

When you look at the scale of some of the installations, you really do get to appreciate how much military precision goes into the under-cover operation (and to not get caught), although there have been some close shaves. He must enjoy that adrenalin rush!

As an artist who creates stencils from artwork on a day-to-day basis, what do you believe is the most challenging type of stencil Banksy creates?

Multi- layer stencils take a fair bit of planning and cutting. Its so easy using a laser cutter. If you are cutting all these by hand, and you make a mistake, it will need patching up or else you’ll need to start all over again. That would be very time consuming.