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Power 1
Samantha Power
Ryan Gallagher
AP Literature
16 April 2010
Banksy: The Mystery
Robin Gunningham -- or is it Robin Banks? Or Robert Banks…? Banksy was born in
1975 -- or was it 1974? -- in Bristol, England – Bristol, was it? (Bloom; “Animals Sprayed”, par.
3; Brennan, par. 1). When he was in school, he often had behavioral troubles and when he was
expelled, he began getting into a life of crime, giving him jail time at a young age (Brennan, par.
4). He was around fourteen years old when he began doing graffiti in his hometown. Early on,
Banksy learned that if he was not fast enough, he would be caught and arrested. He then began
working beforehand, cutting out stencils to trace when out at night, tagging buildings with rats,
monkeys, “storybook-style children hugging missiles,” or maybe just a remark on a wall: “By
Order National Highways Agency This Wall Is A Designated Graffiti Area,” looking like it
could have been easily posted by city officials (Brennan, par. 5). As Banksy grew in talent, he
began getting more elaborate in his art and became more confident in what he could get away
with.
Certain stunts that Banksy has pulled and gotten away with are remarkable. In October of
2003, Banksy presumably dressed as a Tate Museum employee and hung one of his own pieces
on the wall (Brennan, par. 8). In 2006, he altered Paris Hilton’s CD: redid the sleeve art to depict
Hilton topless and replaced her head with a dog’s head, remixed songs and re-titled them “What
Am I For?”, “Why Am I Famous?”, etc. Though, somehow, as to not interfere with purchasing
the CDs, Banksy left the original barcode on his own albums that he replaced with the originals,
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in forty eight different stores in the United Kingdom (“Paris Hilton Targeted in CD Prank”).
Another major stunt was pulled in the London Zoo, where he snuck into the penguin habitat to
stencil “We’re bored of fish” on the wall (Brennan, par 8).
Banksy’s anonymity is incredibly important to him and his associates. Whenever a
representative is talking to the press, they have a comment to cover up for Banksy. In an article
on the BBC News website declaring that they have found out who Banksy truly is, a
representative stated, “I’ll say what I always say. I’ll never confirm or deny these stories”
(Bloom). How his identity has stayed hidden over this amount of time is incredible. Banksy does
all of his work at night, leaves exhibits before people begin to show up, and never makes public
appearances. Even people who could be his parents completely deny relation to him when the
media found what could be Banksy’s first tag in the shed (Barraclough, par. 4). When Banksy
was supposed to speak in Berlin, Germany, he cancelled the conference, and a representative
said, “I am sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but Banksy passed away quietly in his sleep last
night. She was a beautiful eight year old girl who was very deft at climbing and very handy with
a spray can,” throwing off the audience entirely (Hernandez, par. 5). When one gets thrown off
track, they stop asking questions, for a little while. Banksy’s hiding system is completely tight.
His more formal exhibits include ones called “Banksy versus Bristol Museum,” which
was his first – set up in Bristol Museum in the middle of the night, as always, and in his
hometown of Bristol (Barraclough, par. 3). Another included two hundred scurrying rats within
the exhibit because it was “part of the art-viewing experience.” The rats were bred specially for
this purpose, so they would be free from disease (Brennan, par. 9). These exhibits were done in
the cover of the night, because of Banksy’s desire to keep his identity hidden. As Banksy became
more and more popular, the less he wanted recognition for his work. He has a sarcastic and
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negative view of Hollywood, and he stated when he was featured on Good Morning America in
Los Angeles, that, “Hollywood is a town where they honor their heroes by writing their names
on the pavement to be walked on by fat people and peed on by dogs. It seemed like a great place
to come and be ambitious” (Brennan, par. 12). He stays anonymous for a reason, but he is now
making money on his art. The artist is making large statements with his graffiti, sculptures, and
elaborate pranks.
In Banksy’s artwork, there are prominent themes, relating to human behavior, politics,
and other controversial topics. He takes an approach to the pieces he creates with an ironic taste.
With spray paint in hand, Banksy addresses an issue in society all over the world and gets his
point across about it clearly, by depicting the opposite of what he actually means. Banksy also
often uses symbols to show his ideas about society, his frequented rats being a major symbol in
his artwork. His work also heavily depicts Marxist ideas and theories.
Major themes are common through many of Banksy’s pieces, one of which being focused
on the treatment of animals. One famous exhibit was made to look like a regular pet shop -“The
Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill” was set up in Lower Manhattan, New York City, in
Greenwich Village. One sculpture was a large fishbowl, but it was void of fish. What were
floating in their place were frozen fish sticks (Ryznik, par. 7). Another was a leopard curled up in
the corner, actually a fur coat that looked exactly like sleeping leopard (Ryznik, par. 4). Chicken
nuggets were on chicken legs, seemingly dipping themselves in sauce. A rabbit was filing her
nails (Ryznik, par. 6). A monkey was watching TV (Ryznik, par. 5). Outside, there was a
dolphin ride for young children, caught in a net. The sign out front read “Open for Pet
Supplies/Rare Breeds/Mechanically retrieved meat” (Ryznik, par. 4). Banksy’s exhibit had a real
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purpose, and he used the contrast of living animals versus factory-processes animals to show the
audience his opinion.
Disturbing to some and entertaining to others, Banksy used this exhibit because he
“wanted to make art that questioned our relationship with animals and the ethics and
sustainability of factory farming” (Ryznik, par. 8). With this, Banksy forces his beliefs by
ironically depicting the world’s mistreatment of animals. The irony comes out of the materials
Banksy used. In order to create the image that making frozen, fried foods and passing them off as
chicken or fish was wrong, he used the frozen fish sticks and chicken nuggets in the environment
they would naturally be in. Depicting what he says is wrong allows his audience to see
physically what is bad, allowing them to see the problem with it. The use of a physical fur coat to
show a leopard in what would be its natural habitat shows the ironic view that fur coats should
not exist at all. The same idea occurs with the dolphin, caught in the fishing net. It points directly
to the idea that dolphins should not be captured in nets and killed. Banksy may not be standing
up for animal rights in a very clear manner, but he is questioning human’s interactions with
animals and how harmful factory farming really can be. His use of irony states this more clearly
than simply saying it, or creating art that literally shows the negative aspects. The sarcasm in the
sign that he includes outside of the exhibit also attributes to his main point. “Mechanically
retrieved meat” sounds soooo appealing, wouldn’t one think? His ironic use of the sign is also an
example of his tone throughout his pieces.
Another exhibit that Banksy dedicates to animals is literally art that was painted on them.
Pigs are running around painted in police colors; cows are painted with hundreds of Andy
Warhol’s face on them; the sheep are in concentration camp jumpsuits (“Animal Sprayed by
Graffiti Artist”, par. 4). The literal painting of the animals was controversial, though the RSPCA
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approved the animal-safe paint (“Animal Sprayed by Graffiti Artist”, par. 6). The three-
dimensional, mobile art that Banksy created strayed from the irony, but moved to a more literal
interpretation of the slang term for the police (“pigs”, etc.) and the sheep painted in the
concentration camp stripes, as in “a sheep out to slaughter” for humans who were sent into the
camps. With a combination of ironic and literal interpretations of metaphors used in society,
Banksy is easily able to convince his audience that there are certain aspects of American and
English society that are terrible and should be changed.
A final major piece concerning animals was done in an old warehouse. A 38-year-old
Indian elephant was painted by Banksy to physically manifest another metaphor: “the elephant in
the room”. The piece was done so Banksy could show how people ignore the major issues, like
world hunger and human suffering (Wyatt, par. 1). Overall, Banksy’s use of animal art, live and
in other forms, is done using metaphoric ideas and irony. This is all in order to show society’s
flaws in an artistic and open environment.
Banksy has select artists and groups of people he targets when painting. Inclusive is the
celebrity population, other graffiti artists, and anti-graffiti activists. In continuation of Banksy’s
negative outlook on the celebrity of Hollywood, he has different pranks and comments that he
makes about celebrity life, which brings an understanding about why he prefers to stay hidden.
In one work, an African orphan is painted holding a collection can, standing next to a photo of
Peaches Geldof, an English celebrity, with the caption “Peaches Geldof—Please Give
Generously.” The image young underprivileged boy collecting money for an over-privileged
celebrity gives off a sarcastic vibe in Banksy’s work. The sarcasm brings about thought in his
audience. It is apparent the image is backwards, helping the public see what Banksy sees wrong
with the world. In his prank against the pop-star and hotel heiress, Paris Hilton, Banksy managed
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to change and replaced hundreds of her CDs (“Paris Hilton Targeted in CD Prank”). Paris’s body
now as a Chihuahua’s head attached to it instead of her own. This piece, with his artful use of
photo shop, tells his audience about his contempt for those in the spotlight. When he premiered
his movie, Exit through the Gift Shop, Banksy allowed “normal people” to view the film in his
makeshift theater “before the celebrities get stains all over the furniture” (Prigg, par. 7).
Criticism through art reaches more than the celebrities, as in one instance where he paints a
mural criticizing other graffiti artists, who paint “mindless graffiti.” His work was covered up by
those offended by it (Itzkoff, par.1). When Banksy uses his art to criticize the art of others, he
gets personal about his form of media. He makes it clear that his art is created for a reason.
When Banksy “hits New Orleans,” his work is painted to comment on the affects of
Hurricane Katrina and the recovery process of the tragedy (Bloom, par. 1). He reacts to the work
of the “Gray Ghost” with his work in New Orleans in addition to the paintings done about
Katrina. Fred Radtke, a campaigner for anti-graffiti, goes and covers up work with gray paint
(Bloom, par. 1). In one work in New Orleans, the painting shows two American soldiers,
smuggling a television set and a stereo out of a window, into a shopping cart. The two are
dressed not in full uniform, but in hats, green tee shirts, green army pants, and combat boots. The
two are hiding their faces from sight in the shadows with the bill of their hats. In another
painting, a young boy is swinging from a life preserving float. The piece showing the soldiers
stealing from someone’s house is ironic, because the soldiers are meant to be in New Orleans to
help the relief effort from the natural disaster. The fact that they are dressed in soldier’s less
formal clothing shows that Banksy was trying to be a little more subtle that these off-duty
soldiers were doing exactly the opposite of what they were supposed to be doing – stealing from
the victims instead of helping them. The boy swinging from the life preserver shows us that the
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playful lives that the children in New Orleans once had is shattered. With the young boy
enjoying himself on the float, it is showing how twisted the world has become. The idea that
natural disasters are becoming a normal thing certain areas show Banksy’s concern about what is
happening to the world. The irony, once again, is a major technique that Banksy uses as a way to
bring about the things going wrong in the world.
In a specific piece, Banksy directly targets the English government, instead of celebrities
or the world as a whole. “Monkey Parliament” is a painting of the Parliament chamber, but filled
with monkeys instead of Parliament members. The middle of the painting is the most prominent
– the monkey standing against a desk, addressing the rest of the house. Another one is sitting on
a chair next to him. Everyone else in the house is different. Some monkeys are big, some are
small, some are orange or red, but most are black. There are two large chandeliers hanging above
them. All of the chairs are green. There are two levels of the building, with monkeys up the
balcony. The painting seems to be a criticism at Britain’s government. There is a large clock in
the back of the room, dead center, along with some sort of crest, probably all symbolizing the
actual house of Parliament. Some monkeys are scratching or picking at themselves, others
smelling, some paying attention to the two middle monkeys. The molding in the room is very
detailed, in attempt to replicate the house exactly.
By replacing every single member of Parliament with a smelly, itchy, “stupid” gorilla,
Banksy shows the intensity of his feelings for the company. The monkeys in the middle of the
room represent some leaders of Parliament. They are the biggest monkeys, symbolizing that they
are the stupidest out of all of them. This allows Banksy to contrast those who are the epitome of
idiocy and those who follow. The scene is set to replicate Parliament in order to show clearly
who Banksy is talking about. His unusual use of detail is interesting, because he focuses on every
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aspect of the House. Banksy normally doesn’t concern himself with detail, because the longer he
spends on a mural, the bigger his chance of getting caught. With this piece, though, he is very
specific with his shadowing, his detail on each different monkey, and within the House. His
detail is important here because he is pointed at the group he is targeting here. The pointed
feeling of the details in the painting as well as the pointed attitude the painting has correspond to
Banksy’s feelings about Parliament and their rule of England.
Another painting, “Rickshaw,” is one of two three-dimensional obese Caucasians riding
in a rickshaw being pulled by a very small African American boy. The whole painting is done in
black and white, except for the two people being pulled, attracting the eye there, first. The
woman is wearing a large pink tank top with wide straps, shorts and flip-flops with a pink
pedicure. She is blonde and wearing pink-framed eyeglasses, and smiling. Her arm is around her
husband’s shoulders. She has large legs, one crossed over the other. Her husband, the man, has
brown hair and a receding hairline. He’s wearing a white collared shirt with a logo on the left.
The fat underneath his shirt is clearly visible. He’s wearing sunglasses and holding up his camera
phone, taking a picture of the young boy. He is also smiling. He’s wearing denim knee-length
shorts and bright white tennis shoes. One’s eyes are immediately drawn to what the couple is
looking at, and are surprised to see an unhappy black boy pulling the rickshaw. He is about one-
fourth of the rickshaw itself, has a gray skin tone, and is looking unhappily toward those viewing
the painting. He’s wearing shorts, a tee shirt, and a backwards baseball cap. The rickshaw itself
is large, looking like an old-fashioned carriage. The two wheels have multiple spokes, and there
is a large umbrella covering the two people sitting in the carriage from the sun.
Banksy’s message through this painting is very obvious, much like all of his other work.
The two obese people sitting in the rickshaw represent the thousands of negative aspects about
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white America. They are thrilled to be where they are, with a tiny, weak, African American boy
hauling them around the city they are visiting. Banksy uses the obesity of the tourists to show the
way society has let go of what being healthy is and how privileged American society has become
with its convenience. The boy is there to show how some are still obviously suffering while the
privileged mock those who are. The people in the rickshaw are shoving their advantaged lives
into the face of the disadvantaged, such as camera phones and pink pedicures. The young boy is
obviously unhappy in the painting while those being pulled along are joyous about their
situation. While they have no sympathy for what they are doing, Banksy knows that his audience
is appalled at the sight, but they are not willing to do anything about it. This is what Banksy sees
as a problem with society today.
One major artwork that Banksy has plastered all over England and different parts of the
United States is his trademark rat. The rats that range from story-high murals to small corners of
buildings, to scraps in a dump are a central symbol for one thing: “If you are dirty, insignificant,
and unloved, then rats are the ultimate role model” (Phillips 33). This quote from Banksy says
exactly what an audience needs to know about his always-appearing rat sketch.
In one major piece, there is a giant rat painted on the side of a building. It has a
malicious look on its face, and it has a pair of scissors in his hands. However, only half of the rat
has been painted. The bottom half is just gray paint, covering the bottom. Painted on the wall
itself is a man, with a gray paint roller, painting over the rat on a lift. The cables holding the lift
are being cut by the rat further up on the wall, stopping the painter from any further work, and
sending him, ultimately, to his death. In another rat piece, there is a rat with a red paint roller,
next to the words “Because I’m Worthless” painted in red. The numerous rats that Banksy
scatters around the world are important to his main anti-capitalistic outlook on life because of
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what they symbolize for Banksy – the average, working class man. Banksy tries to show the lack
of respect that people of that stature get as a working-class citizen with his repetition of the rat
figure throughout London and other parts of the world.
Banksy travels all across the world in order to spread his criticisms about the
government, capitalism, and general human behavior toward others. All of his pieces hold some
sort of political significance. Mostly, the art is ironic or sarcastic. It usually depicts the things
that do happen in the world, but everyone either ignores or don’t know about. Banksy’s goal is to
bring attention to these issues with his sneaky, nighttime art. His continuous use of irony allows
him to speak his mind in a sick, almost humorous way. The beauty of his artwork is behind the
skill and talent of Banksy himself, but the messages are all about what is happening in his head,
as an individual, and a native of England.
The fact that Banksy is a graffiti artist brings up a lot of controversy concerning
countless city officials who want Banksy’s work off of the walls. Most of the population
appreciates the work and wants it to stay up in the cities, but the authorities have a trend of
believing that if the graffiti stays up, it will send a bad message to other “mindless” graffiti artists
(Itzkoff, par. 1). It seems as if the citizens much prefer the art there as opposed to removed,
which is the reason there is still so much up and around the country. Banksy’s ideals are critical,
but make a valid point to the public. His artwork is effective at getting a reaction out of any one
of his audience members.
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New Orleans – “Life Preserver”
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New Orleans – “Untitled”
Manhattan – “The Village Pet Store & Charcoal Grill”
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Manhattan— “The Village Pet Store & Charcoal Grill”
Manhattan – “The Village Pet Store & Charcoal Grill”
Paris Hilton CD Prank
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“Monkey Parliament”
“Rickshaw”
Chinatown, New York - “Rat Mural”
“Because I’m Worthless” Rat
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Works Cited
“Animals Sprayed by Graffiti Artist.” BBC NEWS. 18 July 2003. 13 Apr. 2010. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/entertainment/3077217.stm>.
An article that tells about an exhibit that Banksy created by painting live animals.
Banksy. “Because I’m Worthless Rat.” Painting. Art of the State. 2004. 7 April 2010.<http://www.artofthestate.co.uk/Banksy/Banksy_because_i'm_worthless_rat.htm>.
Painting of Banksy’s found in car park in Farrington.
Banksy. “Paris Hilton CD Cover.” Print. Between Thought and Expression. 3 Sept. 2006. 15 Apr. 2010. <http://djmonstermo.blogspot.com/2006/09/banksy-strikes-again-with-paris-hilton.html>.
Photo of Banksy’s strike against Hilton.
Barraclough, Leo. "Banksy leaves mark on Blighty." Variety 416.3 (2009): 79. Expanded
Academic ASAP. Web. 5 Apr. 2010.
The show “Bansky versus Bristol Museum” had people waiting in line to see it for 6 hours. People keep trying to reveal his identity, but the alleged parents of Banksy refuse any relation to him, and others say they found his house with his first tag in the shed.
Bloom, Julie. “A Mystery Graffiti Artist is Given a Name.” New York Times. 14 July 2008. <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/arts/design/14arts-AMYSTERYGRAF_BRF.html?scp=14&sq=Banksy&st=nyt>.
This article “identifies” Banksy as Robin Gunningham, according to a photograph taken in 2004 that found its way online. Former acquaintances identified the man in the photo as Banksy, or Gunningham.
Bloom, Julie. “Banksy Hits New Orleans.” New York Times. 28 Aug. 2008: E3.
This is an article that explains Banksy’s response to Katrina, three years later. He has painted a dozen murals in the area in response to the clean-up operation and the “Gray Ghost”, an antigraffiti campaigner.
Brennan, Carol. "Banksy." Newsmakers 2007 Cumulation. Ed. Laura Avery. Detroit: Gale, 2008.
37-38. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 5 Apr. 2010.
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A detailed biography of Banksy, or as much as one can know about him. No one is entirely sure of his past because he is so mysterious. It lists different pranks and illegal stunts that Banksy has pulled and gotten away with, mostly in England, LA, and New York City.
Hernandez, Eugene. "Banksy Speaks in Berlin - IndieWIRE." IndieWIRE - Filmmakers. Biz. Fans. 15 Feb. 2010. Web. 22 Mar. 2010. <http://www.indiewire.com/article/banksy_speaks_in_berlin/>.
This is a short article stating that Banksy was supposed to go to Berlin to talk about his new movie, but couldn’t make it and broadcasted it over satellite instead. It includes a typed version of his short address in Germany.
Itzkoff, David. “Street Artist Tagged With, Yes, Graffiti.” New York Times. 2 Nov. 2009: C2.
This article is a short piece about the voting that South London citizens took to decide whether or not a Banksy mural should be removed, but before the decision could be made, other graffiti artists had painted over Banksy’s mural.
"Paris Hilton Targeted in CD Prank." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. 3 Sept. 2006. Web. 22 Mar. 2010. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5310416.stm>.
This article is one from BBC News that explains the prank that Banksy pulled on Paris Hilton’s music album, where he slipped his own version of her songs on a separate album within stocks of her real album.
Phillips, Joanne. “What We Can Learn From Banksy.” Green Places. Oct. 2009: 32-34.
The author of this article believes that the landscape around us is some form of text in itself, and when literal text (names of deceased in memorials, lines inscribed in stone, etc.) is added, it creates additional meaning. Banksy wrote his tag with a fire extinguisher filled with paint. “If you are dirty, insignificant, and unloved, then rats are the ultimate role model.” (Bansky, 2006) Banksy is a perfect example of adding text/visual to a landscape to enhance the meaning of the landscape itself.
Prigg, Mark. “Fans Snap Up Tickets to Banksy: the movie.” Biographical Research Center – Boston Public Library. 23 Feb. 2010. The Evening Standard. 5 Apr. 2010.<http://infotrac.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/itw/infomark/1/1/1/purl=rc1_BRC_0_CJ219544298?sw_aep=mlin_b_bpublic>.
Tickets for Banksy’s film sold out very quickly. Banksy is showing his movie at a makeshift 150-seat theater created in an abandoned tunnel. “Yesterday the entrance was marked with a large sign featuring a man in a gas mask painting a red carpet with a roller.”
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Ryzik, Melena. “Where Fish Sticks Swim Free and Chicken Nuggets Self-Dip.” New York Times. 9 October 2008: C2.
Bansky set up “shop” in Lower Manhattan. A fake pet shop, depicting chicken nuggets with legs, fish sticks in a fish tank, etc. “The Village Pet Store” is Bansky’s first exposition in New York. Another piece is a “curled up leopard” on a tree, but it’s actually a strategically placed fur coat. “I wanted to make art that questioned our relationship with animals and the ethics and sustainability of factory farming,” Banksy said in a statement distributed by a publicist, “but it ended up as chicken nuggets singing.”
Wyatt, Edward. “Arty Elephant Goes Gray.” New York Times. 19 Sept. 2006. <http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03E7DA1031F93AA2575AC0A9609C8B63&scp=22&sq=banksy&st=nyt>.
Banksy was told he could create a mural with non-toxic paint on an elephant to symbolize the “elephant in the room” of war and human suffering, etc. but animal rights advocates forced Banksy to wash the elephant of the paint because it was harmful to the animal.
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Works Consulted
"Bad taste ... banksy's animal art." Maclean's 27 Oct. 2008: 62. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 5 Apr. 2010.
People are beginning to question Banksy’s art – the “sick” depiction of a chicken nugget with legs dipping itself in sauce is apparently disturbing to the people.
Banksy. Web. 22 Mar. 2010. <http://www.banksy.co.uk/index.html>.
Banksy is a website where Banksy posts his art, and “sells” merchandise that he doesn’t profit from.
“Banksy Cover-Up.” Biographical Research Center – Boston Public Library. 21 Feb. 2010. World Entertainment News Network. 5 Apr. 2010. <http://infotrac.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/itw/infomark/1/1/1/purl=rc1_BRC_0_A219421797?sw_aep=mlin_b_bpublic>.
A short piece that states that a British official covered up a beloved piece of Banksy’s art.
Debruge, Peter. “Exit Through the Giftshop.” Biographical Research Center – Boston Public Library. 15 Feb. 2010. Reed Business Information, Inc. 5 Apr. 2010. <http://infotrac.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/itw/infomark/1/1/1/purl=rc1_BRC_0_A219893027?sw_aep=mlin_b_bpublic>.
Banksy and the person he made his movie with, Thierry Guetta are polar opposites. One is an eccentric movie-maker and Banksy is trying to hide himself from the world. The works that were done for the movie were mostly cleaned up or taken down right away. Banksy’s hiding from the world, Guetta is fishing for fame.
Itzkoff, David. “Council Votes to Remove Banksy Mural in London.” New York Times. 25 Oct. 2008: C2.
This article talks about how Banksy is now popular in New York City, and that the Westminster City Council said that they are removing a mural of his to discourage graffiti.
Malcolm, Derek. “Banksy’s Lesson in Bad Art.” Biographical Research Center – Boston Public Library. 5 Mar. 2010. The Evening Standard. 5 Apr. 2010. <http://infotrac.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/itw/infomark/1/1/1/purl=rc1_BRC_0_CJ220443682?sw_aep=mlin_b_bpublic>.
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Banksy refers to his movie as “the world’s first street art disaster movie”. The article is a summary of Banksy’s film.
O'Keeffe, Alice. "Keeping it real: Steve Lazarides is Banksy's gallerist and the man responsible for the boom in street art. He hasn't sold out--he's just adapted, he tells Alice O'Keeffe." New Statesman [1996] 3 Nov. 2008: 42+.Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 5 Apr. 2010.
This article talks about Banksy’s gallerist and the one who helps keep Banksy’s identity a secret. He sells for Banksy. “In his latest foray into fully fledged respectability, Lazarides has compiled a book featuring work by the artists from his stable, including the Gorillaz cartoonist Jamie Hewlett, 3D of Massive Attack, Radiohead's favourite artist Stanley Donwood, and the up-and-coming photographer JR. It is published by Random House and is entitled Outsiders, perhaps because Lazarides still feels like an outsider himself.” The article focuses much more on Lazarides and his part within the art industry. Banksy is not included in his book of art compilations “Outsiders” because “it would have become all about him.”
Richards, Alison. “Council Destroys Banksy’s Artwork.” Biographical Research Center – Boston Public Library. 4 Sept. 2009. The Evening Standard. 5 Apr. 2010. <http://infotrac.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/itw/infomark/1/1/1/purl=rc1_BRC_0_CJ207253072?sw_aep=mlin_b_bpublic>.
The council in Stoke Newington decided to remove a mural of Banksy’s that had been on the wall of a flat (apartment) for eight years. It had attracted 300,000 visitors.
Tookey, Chris. “Exit Banksy’s street cred.” Biographical Research Center – Boston Public Library. 5 Mar. 2010. The Daily Mail. 5 Apr. 2010. <http://infotrac.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/itw/infomark/1/1/1/purl=rc1_BRC_0_CJ220392679?sw_aep=mlin_b_bpublic>.
The article is a review of Banksy’s film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, that recently was played at the Sundance Film Festival. Tookey appreciated the movie, though he isn’t a fan of Banksy.
Weaver, Helen. “Banksy: Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery.” Art in America. Sept. 2009.
The paintings that Banksy does are incredibly popular, and despite city officials that want to remove the graffiti, most citizens feel that it should be left up. His messages are direct and clearly political and he set up an art gallery in complete secrecy in order to continue to hide his identity.
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