Nick Walker

Bristol based Nick Walker has been applying stencil graffiti fused with humor and irony for the past decade. In recent years, highly praised shows and sought-after canvases have combined to push the artist into the limelight. The Independent Magazine heralded his rise, in 2008, with a bold proclamation, “Move over Banksy.”

Walker’s limited edition print releases force are testament to the fervor surrounding the continually building street art market. Given the economic climate, we might expect prices to lower, but surely not the interest that people like Walker, Banksy, and the ever present Shepard Fairey have built in the multi-dimensional genre. Incorporation in galleries and museums suggests clear acceptance within the art world, and similarly exposes new audiences to both the artists and the institutions.

I spoke with Walker days before the release of his print “The Empire State” (via Black Rat Press). It’s timing coincided with the opening of the London Art Fair (January 13, 2009), which for the first time was poised to include galleries specializing in urban art. Both the release and the fair allowed space to discuss the changing definition of street art and Walker’s understanding of how it connects to the market.