Banksy's got a half dozen pretty cool pieces (the flower thrower, the smileyfaced riot cop, that one with the kid pulling back the wall in Gaza or wherever and revealing a sunny happy beach), but the vast majority of his stuff is just sorta bland, except when he tries to be controversial (like the kissin' cops one), in which case it's just like, whatever, dude, how about doing something clever again please?
Some his controversial stuff works. For example the lynched Klansman he did in Alabama, that was promptly painted over and removed.
ReplyDeleteah, i had forgotten about that one; didn't find it particularly aesthetically pleasing, but definitely in possession of the smartass irony i love :)
ReplyDeleteHe had an exhibit going on in NYC recently that it took quite awhile for people to track it back and find out it was even banksy. He rented a pet store in Manhattan and filled it with faux-animals, like closed circuit tv birds and bizarre stuff.
ReplyDeletehttp://thevillagepetstoreandcharcoalgrill.com/
http://www.woostercollective.com/2008/10/the_village_pet_store_and_charchoal_gril.html