Friday, October 24, 2008

Big Banksy is watching you

This is the most recent and probably biggest ever work, on a post office wall in central London, of the secretive British graffiti artist Banksy [about whom little is known]:

[Click the image to visit Banksy's fascinating website.]

It depicts a small boy on a ladder who is finishing a huge sign—whose message is "one nation under closed-circuit television"—while a security agent and his dog stare up at him. Banksy created this painting in April. He worked so rapidly and stealthily—first erecting three-story scaffolding during the night, and then concealing himself behind a plastic sheet while he did the painting—that nobody was aware of the artist's presence before the work was completed and unveiled. The most amusing aspect of the affair is that the area is watched over by a TV surveillance camera, which can be seen in the middle of the wall.

Unfortunately, dullish London authorities consider that such a work must be thought of as vandalism, and Banksy's masterpiece will therefore soon be painted over.

2 comments:

  1. In 2004 I organised - with a friend of mine - an artistic event in Paris with stencil artists from six countries of Europe. This friend has been photographing stencils (not to confound with "graffiti") for more than 20 years. Now he knows pretty well a lot of artists. He happened to meet Banksy once - it seems that he is a nice guy.

    Anyway.

    Painting Banksy's work over depends on the council. Some understood that he is a world wide known artist and are proud if he paints something on the walls in their area, other don't. I read a good article a few months ago about this subject.

    You should visit his official site.

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  2. I recall your blog post on Banksy's work. Thanks for the link to his excellent website, which I've inserted into my post. I noticed a great neologism concerning Banksy's work: existencilism.

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