Banksy on artofthestate

Caveat Emptor

aots — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 11:45:15 +0000

After receiving a plexiglass coating in a near record breaking time Banksy’s bunting piece has remained in place on the side of a Poundland since May 2012. Not any more as witnessed by this photo kindly supplied by Sarah.

Now what would appear to have happened in this instance is that someone’s offered the wall owner some money and it’s been cut straight out of the wall. It’s now appearing on a US based auction house site with an price estimate starting at $400K. This always creates a bit of controversy and here ares my thoughts about the whole sorry mess.

The Wall Owner. You can’t blame them can you? Someone sprays something on your wall, then someone offers you thousands of pounds for it and also to pay for the wall to be restored. Worse things could happen I guess.

The buyer who paid for it to be removed it from the wall. They’ll probably try and defend their action by saying they were preserving it or some other crap. It’s just about the money of course. That art was put there by the artist for everyone to see not for some chancer to line their pockets. Absolute tossers without question.

The auction house. If they are a decent outfit I can’t see why they’d touch this. There’s no Pest Control Office authentication that it’s a Banksy piece and there’s unlikely to be. Banksy doesn’t spray stuff in the street to line the pockets of speculators.

Of course writing all of the above is pretty pointless, shit happens. Joe Strummer neatly summed it up when he said “Greed, it ain’t going anywhere. They should have that on a big billboard across Times Square. Think on that. Without people you’re nothing.”.

Banksy – Eight Banksy books reviewed in four lines

aots — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:48:46 +0000

Banksy has had a slew of books released about him over the past year. Are they any good, which one should you buy, are the older ones worth getting? For what it’s worth here are eight of the main currently available contenders reviewed.

Seven Years With Banksy (Robert Clarke / Michael O’Mara Books)

What’s it about? A look at Banksy from a more personal view and not just from his street art.

Unique Selling Point: The author claims to have actually met the man himself on more than one occasion including waiting outside once when he was once doing some graffiti in London. He writes about dreams he has had about Banksy.

Not so great: It’s quite unlikely that Banksy will ever be writing a book entitled “My Seven Years With Robert Clarke”. And if the typeface was any larger this book would be printed in fuzzy felt.

Who’s it for? People who enjoyed Bobby’s shower dream sequence in Dallas.

Wall and Piece (Banksy / Random press

You’ve got this one already, right? What do you mean “no”? Ignore the rest of this article and just start with this one (and by the way its now 2012 in case you hadn’t noticed).

What’s it about? All the best work displayed as it was intended, including plenty you won’t see elsewhere, with loads of verbal wit too.

Unique Selling Point: It’s from the horses mouth.

Not so great: it’s a few years old now so misses out a lot of the more recent work but, hey, if you want that there’s always the Internet.

Who’s it for? Pretty much everybody

Banksy – The Man Behind The Wall (Will Ellsworth Jones / Aurum Press)

What’s it about? A weighty tome from a ‘serious’ investigative journalist that seeks to find out who Banksy is without killing the golden goose.

Unique Selling Point: The author has actually occasionally got off his arse to go and interview people face to face rather than just spending a couple of hours on Google doing copy and paste.

Not so great: The author says it is time that Banksy should officially reveal his identity – as if this decision has something to do with Mr Ellsworth Jones who needs to sit himself down and get his ego back under control.

Who’s it for? People who didn’t know know a lot about Banksy before 2009 (for example Will Ellsworth Jones).

Banksy: You are an acceptable level of threat and if you were not you would know about it. (Gary Shove / Carpet Bombing Culture)

What’s it about? A collection of some of the best photographs of Banksy’s work including recent pieces with an irreverent tone.

Unique selling point: The author knows a good photo when he sees one.

Not so great: The Banksy Flickr group appears to have been mugged for the content of the book or, put more simply, you can see all this stuff elsewhere for free.

Who’s it for? People who like pretty pictures and who think they are above actually buying a book by Banksy himself “‘cos he’s like old hat”.

Banksy Locations And Tours Volumes 1 and 2 (various editions) (Martin Bull / Shellshock Publishing)

What’s it about? The definitive printed guide to the locations of Banksy artworks in the UK.

Unique Selling Point: Author Martin Bull has actually been to all these places, knows the history of the pieces and shares all this knowledge in minute detail.

Not so great: You’d be ill advised to go to these locations without checking their status via the free updates available from Shellshock publishing.

Who’s it for: Those who like a walk in the less salubrious part of the UK or those who suffer from Anoraksia.

Banksy Myths and Legends (Marc Leverton / Carpet Bombing Culture)

What’s it about? All the gossip and rumours, kind of like if OK magazine did a Banksy special.

Unique Selling point: It’s in a A5 format exactly like Banksy’s early books which is pretty cool if you think the best place to appreciate art is in the toilet.

Not so great: What’s fact, what’s fiction? Confused? You most certainly will be.

Who’s it for? People who still think Popbitch is a good source of information.

Banksy’s Bristol: Home Sweet Home (Steve Wright / Tangent Books)

What’s it about? A look at Banksy’s early career before he became a household name (well everyone in my household has heard of him by now anyway)

Unique Selling point: Some genuinely interesting content and insights put together with care from contacting people who know.

Not so great: Let’s face it, camera and picture quality often sucked in the late 90’s.

Who’s it for? Those with an interest in the early days.

Banksy: The Bristol Legacy (Paul Gough / Redcliffe Press Limited)

What’s it about? Banksy’s impact on his home city reaches far and wide and its all documented here.

Unique Selling Point: The most in depth look at how his 2009 Museum show was put together, interviewing some of those who made it happen.

Not so great: includes quotes from serial art lover antagonist Brian Sewell like anybody should give a fuck what he says,

Who’s It For? Those who went, obsessives and nosey parkers.

Incoming – Banksy’s new London 2012 work

aots — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 20:53:07 +0000

With very little in the way of a fanfare let alone an opening ceremony two new Banksy pieces have arrived on Banksy.co.uk in this the week leading up to the Olympics. Locations are to my knowledge are not yet known (all tips much appreciated ).

See them in theor original size on banksy.co.uk

Free Er… Banksy Print*

aots — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:32:03 +0000

* You need to print it yourself

Uploaded onto picturesonwalls.com today is a right Royal new Banksy image to celebrate 60 years of HRH’s Queen Elizabeth II’s benefit scrounging. It’s free too for you to download and print on anything you like. Maybe you’d like to print off a whole batch and drop them like confetti from a bridge over the River Thames in central London as the Royal Pageant floats underneath? This might actually be quite hard as most bridges are closed with access to accredited people attending exclusive events only. Old habits die hard eh? Welcome to the modern monarchy, three cheers for Liz! Or as a certain Mr Lydon once put it “God Save The Queen, because tourists are money”.

Download a hi-res version of this Banksy image free from picturesonwalls.com

With the flag waving season in overdrive it’s also worth remembering this adage:

Banksy.co.uk updated

aots — Sun, 27 May 2012 22:16:13 +0000

Its always interesting when Banksy updates his website as we usually get to see some new works and its a chance to get some older ones confirmed. This time around there’s a good selection in both categories. The origami bird with a goldfish spotted in Lyme Regis earlier this year appears for the first time as does last weeks child making bunting.

Images: artofthestate

There’s a bunch of other new images in the Outside section some of which haven’t been seen before or at least have never been attributed to Banksy.

On the Inside section there are again new works on display including an amazing look at his studio. Go to banksy.co.uk for higher resolution versions as these are just low-res copies.

Images: banksy.co.uk

Finally the shop page has been updated with a new take on the “I went to London and all I got Was This Lousy Tshirt” motif. Here’s a new version that’s still in situ on Sclater Street in the much overplayed streets of Shoreditch.

Image: artofthestate

New work from Banksy

aots — Fri, 18 May 2012 21:35:31 +0000

First spotted on Monday 14th May this child making Union flag bunting on the side of a Poundland store in Turnpike Lane, London has pretty much instantly been identified as a new Banksy piece. I got there pretty late for this one so here’s a picture of it with the bunting removed and replaced and some none too subtle perspex slapped on the top. Hooked blog have some really good pictures of it before it got the preservation treatment, see them here. Read more about the piece over on artofthestate.co.uk

Banksy child sewing bunting: artofthestate

Cardinal Sin

aots — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:50:38 +0000

With no trip to Liverpool planned at the moment I’ve needed to rely on this stock photo from the Banksy website but here is ‘Cardinal Sin’ now installed in the cities Walker Art Gallery. The sculpture (a replica) has had its face sawn off and replaced with tiles giving the impression of a pixelated face to hide the identity of what we can assume is an child abuser. Banksy gave a few lines to accompany the sculpture which according to the BBC seems to be an indefinite loan to the gallery.

“I’m never sure who deserves to be put on a pedestal or crushed under one.

“I love everything about the Walker Gallery – the Old Masters, the contemporary art, the rude girl in the cafe. And when I found out Mr Walker built it with beer money, it became my favourite gallery”.

Banksy continues to explain more about the statue “The statue? I guess you could call it a Christmas present. At this time of year its easy to forget the true meaning of Christianity – the lies, the corruption, the abuse”.

Image source: banksy.co.uk

Banksy – New Works

aots — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:06:18 +0000

Banksy.co.uk has a series of new works on display right now which pretty much confirm some recent rumours and in one instance tackle head on some of the more ridiculous talk about his tit for tat feud with Robbo.

Starting with one of the most recent pieces this seems to have turned up near the Blackwall Tunnel in recent days.

Situated on the side of the empty shell of a building it seems luxury living in easy travelling distance of Canary Wharf has been put on hold.

This ones already attracted a lot of interest. In the heart of London’s Mayfair a well off woman plummets down the side of another empty building with her trolley spilling the trappings of her lifestyle.

Banksy has been busy elsewhere too. A couple of biplane skywriting pieces have also appeared. Whilst the one in Wapping has already been removed the pick of the two has to be the one in Liverpool which is still there. Thanks to regular Art Of The State reader Darren here’s a couple of great pictures to show you.

Finally its worth checking Banksy’s newly updated frequently asked questions section which includes his version of events regarding the Robbo feud. Rumours always carry more weight than facts and whatever you may think of Banksy or Robbo the bottom line is that Robbo remains in a serious condition and Banksy has responded by leaving this sketchy outline in Robbo’s old spot presumably in the hope that he recovers and comes back to finally reclaim this spot.

Reclaim the streets

aots — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:48:48 +0000

Yesterday, in a side street close to Marble Arch Tube station, a piece of Banksy history grumbled into view on its way to its temporary location outside the Cumberland Hotel. In place for apparently just six hours it was maybe the best preserved example of one of several trucks painted by Banksy circa 2000. Its sides revealed many of the key themes from his early work.

The artwork itself is in great condition. The owner had the foresight to cover it in three coats of clear lacquer directly after it was painted in Spain back in 2000 and this meant despite the fact that it had been raining on the 100 or so mile journey to the capital that it still arrived looking pretty damn pristine. It’s smart looks are all the more impressive seeing as the vehicle has been used extensively over the years as part of Turbo Zone, a pan European travelling pyrotechnic circus show that has also reached as far as South America.

Banksy apparently painted the entire vehicle back in the day pretty much for the supply of the paint needed, a ladder and a not insignificant amount of beer. It was the scene of the creation of one of his most famous slogans “Laugh now but one day we’ll be in charge” which in recent years has become more associated with his sandwich board wearing chimp. Here the slogan has a more direct meaning. On the left hand side ‘Beware of The Bull’ is written and emerging via a derailed train is a mechanised bull complete with saw blade wheels and a cannon attached. A Cannon Bull if you like. It’s bearing down on a group of fleeing coppers clutching what looks like their clear plastic riot shields as they turn tail and run from the onslaught of its charge.

On the other side is another depiction of rebellion against the system. A mohawked punk sledgehammers the TV that only promises a world full of toxic fumes. Meanwhile squadrons of winged monkeys swoop outwards overhead with the words ‘all systems go’ taking on a new meaning in the bottom right.

What’s interesting is that it was all painted freehand over a fortnight with spray cans with the exception of the stencil style Banksy tags on each side and some paint pen looking detail on the front. Banksy had adopted stencils around this time as his principle method for painting – chiefly to get past the time it takes to paint freehand on the street.

Thus far I’ve neglected to tell you why the truck ended up in Old Quebec Street. It was there as it is to be sold via ‘private treaty’ via Drewatts which I think means that its up for sale but not by an auction. Drewatt’s themselves have an urban art auction on Monday 10th October which includes Banksy originals and prints currently viewable in the Cumberland Hotel.

The truck itself is a unique and stunning piece, signed in Banksy’s early stencil font on both sides and it comes with the all important Pest Control Office certificate of authenticity. Where it will end up is any ones guess but I would suspect they’re going to need deep pockets and a large garage area to display it in.

Other Banksy truck artworks are in existence elsewhere, there was this one reported on the BBC’s website and also the one below which I was sent some fantastic photos of a while back.

Banksy round up

aots — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:39:44 +0000

A little round up of some upmarket Banksy news over which I’m guessing he has little control and a review of another recently released Banksy locations app:

Partners in crime Bankrobber Gallery and the Keszler Gallery have teamed up to have a show of their cut out of the wall Banksy pieces. They have a ridiculous looking video, all dark and mysterious and more than a bit cliched, which documents their journey to basically buy a piece of wall. Apparently they are at pains to point out that they didn’t organise the work being taken from the street in its original location of Palestine, they just bought it after it had been removed to sell on to someone else at what they no doubt will hope to be a huge profit. This is pretty much the street art equivalent of saying “we’re only selling ivory, we didn’t actually kill the elephant ourselves”.

Watch some rather pointless video about buying art nicked off the street here. Believe it or not there’s actually a part 2 to this!

Bonhams meanwhile had an auction of authenticated Banksy works which went for serious money including screen prints at £13K and canvases for up to 100K. It would seem that while shares are on the slide the world over the art market remains in places very buouyant.

Sotheby’s have some Banksy pieces coming up too. ‘Ballerina With Action Man Parts’, a version of which was on show at 2009’s Banksy versus Bristol Museum Exhibition, is from an edition of 6 and has a guide price of £40,000 to £60,000.

Banksy: Ballerina With Action Man Parts

‘Bullet Proof David’, constructed out of enamel. Fibreglass and wax from an edition of three one of which was seen at the Cans Festival is expected to sell for between £120,000 to £180,000. Finally a bronze rat from an edition of 12 has an estimate of £50,000 to £70,000. This piece is unique in that it has acrylic paint on the rat’s brush.

Banksy: Bullet Proof David

Regular readers may recall that I was pretty dismissive of the Banksy Locations iphone app. It’s still on my phone and I’d like to tell you that it has improved of late but it takes an age to load. Oh hang on, it’s finally appeared now. It is better than it was but its painful in its execution. It’s also still leading you to lots of things that just aren’t there and haven’t been for years. I remain unimpressed even though it now costs 69p (it was originally offered at a higher introductory price claiming it was going to increase in price but that never happened and its now been reduced, huh)?

A far better choice is the Banksy Bristol Tour locations app. It’s a neat looking and more importantly actually working guide to 14 works attributed to Banksy in Bristol including some large pieces in really good condition. Each piece has a photo and a decent write up and the current status is largely correct. If you’re going to Bristol on a Banksy hunt this would be a very useful addition and would save a lot of research. Quite expensive at £1.99 but does the job well.

Right, that’s that little lot out of the way. A small warning, the next update will feature that Blek Le Rat Banksy quote….