Banksy

When I am sitting in the car I usually zone out with my phone out. I have this App called Aldiko which is an E-reader that allows you to read just about anything on your phone. I snatch all sorts of reading material from all different torrent sites on the web. I am a filthy copy right pirate. I am not ashamed to admit my filth, but I tell you what..... A stack of magazines and books that fits in your pocket and is palm ready comes in handy. All this talk of reading and books is not my point. I am currently reading/scanning a book called "This is not a photo Opportunity." It is about Banksy, the prolific street artist that blew up the streets of London by spray painting rats, cops kissing, and political humor all over the streets using stencils instead of the traditional free hand style in street art. The book reminded me how much I enjoyed this street artist's appeal and images.  Banksy also does interesting acts of social graffiti too. Take for example purchasing a used decorative painting, depicting  a mountain and a lake, from the local thrift store for 5 bucks. Banksy then painted into that scene a Nazi officer, sitting on a bench, taking in the view.Subsequently he donated the painting back to same shop and that 5 dollar work of art jumped up to 20 grand. Of course, this was after an insider explained to the shop what they had on sale in the 5 and below bargain bin.


Now people cherish Banksy's work and pay handsomely for it. The real reason I like Banksy is the anonymity he brings to the art. He has never come out and revealed his true identity, and it seems he doesn't covet fame either. I am also attracted to some of the socially driven motives behind the work. Certainly, one of the main reasons people like the work is because it's funny. I am sure most people who like pop art in some form or fashion have heard of Banksy. I was flipping threw the aforementioned book and peered all the photos of the work he put up around London, and it really inspires me to get out and paint more. Banksy brought stencils, which were considered taboo, to street art. Now everywhere you look you see stencils on walls with Banksy look alike subject matter. I enjoy the fact that Banksy promotes an underground mystique, yet he brought stencils which is a sort of "mass production" slash commercialization to that underground street art vibe. Let us not forget the book I was rambling on about. It has, in as few words as possible, pictures, with as few words as possible... 64


This is the opening sequence to a Simpsons Episode story boarded by Banksy. The producers reached out to Banksy threw a third party and invited him to create the concept for the opening of the episode.
It has awesome sauce dripping all over it.