Graffiti, many
people loathe what it does to their cities, they find it tasteless, damaging
(to property), unlawful, dirty, and some would probably say it is an act of
savagery (to name a few negative emotions that graffiti causes to residents).
Some use graffiti to mark their territory, to leave a legacy, to express
themselves, or even to get a rush of adrenaline for breaking the law. Most
cities have called for murals to be painted in their cities to represent a
piece of their city, which clearly shows the influence modern style graffiti
has had on art. Graffiti has been around since the Stone Age if you really look
at it. Graffiti is a form of expression to many as well as a form of art. Some
modern day graffiti is quite primitive, looking like a scribbled name by a
small child, but some can be very intricate.
Graffiti has played such
a role in the helping us understand where we came from pertaining to
anthropological studies and if we just took a chance to look at the graffiti
through the years, we might be able to understand our own society a bit better.
Banksy is one such graffiti artist that uses the art to show his political and
social views in a way that almost makes you wish that it was lawful to conduct
such activities. He comes from the UK and has done such things as add a piece
of art to museums with a description (like any other museum piece) which at
times goes almost unnoticed by the art staff. He has also used such props as a
defiled phone booth laid out in London to make a statement.
In October, Banksy has
come to New York City in hopes of turning heads and to help people understand
our international and national actions seen through his own eyes. He really
does it in an innovative way that sometimes doesn't use paint.
In this display, he
packs a slaughterhouse delivery truck full of stuffed animals calling it,
"Sirens of the Lambs". This particular truck toured the a meat
packing district in New York for two weeks to show Banksy's distaste for the
industry.
This piece is called,
"Lower East Side", and it turns a trashed car into a piece of
art. His controlled strokes of a spray paint can are like no others
and he really knows how to turn and abandoned alleyway into a piece of art.
This piece called
"Greenpoint" showcases his satirical humor in how people use
statements by philosophers to help bring some more validity and profoundness in
what they are trying to say or even in social media to show what they stand
for. I think it is a true cry out to the world to be original, convey your
points with your own mind. This particular piece was done on day eight of his
stay.
This piece came at day
eight as well titled, "Brooklyn". It is an ode to all the broken
hearts out there and I think it also says that it is funny how we buy flowers
and balloons to help save our significant others from having a broken heart
because of our mistakes in a relationship (like cheating for instance).
This piece is a
satirical piece on how New York turns everything into a musical and it is
called "Bushwick".
Another satirical piece
that personifies the the fire hydrant as loving the attention from a dog
urinating on it, called "Midtown".
This piece is a lot like
the previous one, but a bit more blatant. He is definitely a person who is
against the same old ideas and status quo.
Banksy has definitely
left a mark in society. Many of his pieces have been already painted over, but
through photography, they will live forever. I implore you to check out his documentary
called, "Exit Through the Gift Shop" it is great and shows you a lot on many
of his previous works. Some of his works have sold for thousands.
Sources for the article:
and my mind...
Written by:
Craig Ludwig
