Banksy Was Here

Imma gonna plaster this together and hope it sticks.

Six months ago, I did not know who "Banksy" was. I still don't. Neither do the millions who follow his art. My sister made me aware of what he did.

Banksy is a shadowy graffiti artist who's work is so excellent- that people stop and stare at it anywhere they find it. Banksy will use any venue that strikes him. As I write this, I am watching "Banksy Does New York."

Banksy's work is fantastic and it always makes a statement. Nobody says "fuck you" to established rules any better than Banksy does. You got to love a guy who disses on the "Freedom Tower" (built where the world trade center buildings were) and says it belongs in Canada.

Most of Banksy's work gets painted over and destroyed. It is after all, against the law.

So today, rather than read another hateful government rant, take a spin through Banksy's world. Here's a great place to start. http://www.artofthestate.co.uk/Banksy/banksy.htm


One Of The More Memorable Quotes By Banksy

“People are taking the piss out of you everyday. They butt into your life, take a cheap shot at you and then disappear. They leer at you from tall buildings and make you feel small. They make flippant comments from buses that imply you’re not sexy enough and that all the fun is happening somewhere else. They are on TV making your girlfriend feel inadequate. They have access to the most sophisticated technology the world has ever seen and they bully you with it. They are The Advertisers and they are laughing at you. You, however, are forbidden to touch them. Trademarks, intellectual property rights and copyright law mean advertisers can say what they like wherever they like with total impunity.

F*ck that. Any advert in a public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It’s yours to take, re-arrange and re-use. You can do whatever you like with it. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head.

You owe the companies nothing. Less than nothing, you especially don’t owe them any courtesy. They owe you. They have re-arranged the world to put themselves in front of you. They never asked for your permission, don’t even start asking for theirs.”

Banksy took one of those vastly over produced paintings we see everywhere, stuck a nazi in it, and donated it during his trip to New York. It was sold at auction for over 600k- the proceeds went to a homeless shelter. He called it the "Banality of the Banality of Evil." He signed the piece right above the original artist.


 

Good stuff. I only wish I could write half as effectively as Banksy draws. I have always liked the idea of working for free and making peoples' lives a little easier.