Murdered Phone Booth, Soho Square
Since he didn't have permission to place this piece of sculpture here, it was removed by the Westminster Council.
Near Bethlehem, Israel
The Naked Man
Park Street, Bristol
On the wall of a sexual health clinic, this was allowed to remain.
Banksy is the pseudonym of a British street artist whose works are edgy and somewhat surreal. This is stop-traffic, unsubtle stuff. Love that!
Some of it's obviously there to make a point. Well, actually, perhaps all of it is. All up to your interpretation.
Urban art brings beauty to what's otherwise unredeemably ugly, cheer to the hopeless. It draws attention, sometimes scoring a social or political point. I love the shock, or surprise element of it. Imagine turning a corner and seeing a bent phone booth with a pick axe sticking out of it, pools of what looks like blood dripping off it.
I'd call that a surprise.
I like that it's sure to offend the conservative sort. When you offend a person you force him or her to look at something they otherwise wouldn't. And when that happens there's the capacity to change, to increase understanding. Plus, it's just damn fine art.
Anyone else feel drawn to this art?
The Art:
The Artist:
(Loads and loads of articles about him referenced at Wikipedia, plus info on his books.)
"When you go to an art gallery you are simply a tourist looking at the trophy cabinet of a few millionaires."
– Banksy
