Banksy graffitting all over the place should not be celebrated

We have an 'only God can judge me' 🙄🤣

Yes he is my third cousin, twice removed by marriage to my mum's half sister. He is not my 'hero', I simply find your comments to be miserable, ignorant and reductive.

"graffitying all over the place" 😁😁😁

Have you tried to stencil in the way he does? Have you enlightened Sothebys that his work does not constitute art? 😅 Please let us know what they say.

www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/oct/14/banksy-auction-record-shredded-painting-love-is-in-the-bin

For a long time, I wondered about some graffiti near where I lived that proclaimed to the world that "McKIRCHER IS A BOZO".

Years later, I met someone who worked with the person who did it. McKircher was one of their colleagues and he was, indeed, a bozo. It was strangely satisfying to know this, for some reason.

I agree with this, the pelicans etc are very basic. The rhino is quite accomplished though.

YANBU OP.
He's a vandal like the others. And many unknowns have produced better work on my local streets 🥱

Of course it doesn't, have you tried doing it yourself to confirm your viewpoint?

I love a bit of Constable or Pre-Raphaelite or Hogarth, but wait for it....I can't stand Picasso or Kandinsky

I'm not that bothered about Turner.

I think street art is like any other - some I like, some I don't. They've commissioned some murals round here, which I like, but I wouldn't want every piece of street art round here to be by the same person. That would get dull.

I find street art a really difficult concept!

I hate graffiti and street art. I hate the way it permanently defaces lovely brick, wood and stone surfaces (yes, you can paint over it, but actually removing it is an expensive nightmare and it will return the next night, most likely). I think street art is an imposition, undemocratic and usually very ugly (though that's a subjective view). If you don't like an artist's work it's not usually a problem - just don't go to the exhibition and don't put it on your wall - sorted. But street art is horribly, crudely, aggressively and garishly there, whether we want it or not. I loathe it.

Banksy...I really like his stuff! But I can't reconcile my liking for Banksy's work with what I say above. I can't make a logical case, I admit. I suppose you could say that Banksy is understated, spare and subtle - not garish.

I also like Northern Irish murals - the ones that both Catholics and Protestants painted on the ends of houses. They have become accepted as an historical and cultural phenomenon. But they're not subtle or understated, so my attempt to be consistent falls again.

Still hate 99% of 'street art' though.

I love graffiti and street art. I love a mural. I love a pasted picture or poster.

I love to visit and wander around places in cities and find cool stuff that makes me smile.

For me, it brightens up a dreary world. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I was initially more worried I needed to start building my own Ark.

I thought it might be a commentary on climate change and flooding. That would be RIGHT up his (or her) street.

Absolutely!

Also sad that give peas a chance has gone

The thing with art, is it's personal taste, I love a bit of Constable or Pre-Raphaelite or Hogarth, but wait for it....I can't stand Picasso or Kandinsky, I don't doubt some would say I'm totally uneducated if I don't like some of the masters like Vangogh or get this for sacrilege I don't particularly like Monet😲, I know I'm tots unsophisticated! When I look at art, or hear a piece of music, I want it to make my soul sing, I want it to give me joy, or lift me out of the doldrums. If it doesn't talk to me, or makes me scratch my head thinking wtf, I'm not interested.
And therein lies the problem with Banksy and the arts in general, one persons soul flying 'wow, love it', is another person's soul destroying 'dear me, is that what passes for art these days, urgh'. It's great that we all enjoy and like different things, wouldn't the world be boring if we were all the same?!

Helch is also in Cyprus on a large shipwreck

Helch is also over the bridge as you get onto the M3 from the M25.

I miss give peas a chance though.

Radio 4 had a series about the rise of Banksy -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001nwhs

There is a long tradition of graffiti in history, going back to cave paintings etc

But it wasn’t consigned to ancient hunting scenes, classic basic tags and toilet cubicle style messages are firmly in history.

My arm is tattooed with a copy of ancient grafitti from the Maes Howe burial mound, which also features many of just name tags/ “I woz ere” etc, and statements about the alleged virtue of local ladies. (One by Helgi states that they were carving whilst Thorni appears to have been busy with one such lady)

• "Ofram the son of Sigurd carved these runes"
• "Haermund Hardaxe carved these runes"
• "These runes were carved by the man most skilled in runes in the western ocean"
• "Tholfir Kolbeinsson carved these runes high up"
• "This howe Vermundr carved"
• "Ottarfila carved these runes"
• "Benedikt made this cross"
• "Arnfithr Matr carved these runes with this axe owned by Gauk Trandilsson in the South land"
• "Tryggr carved these runes"
• "Arnfithr the son of Stein carved these runes"
• "Thorir"
• "Orkis' son says in the runes he carves"
• "futhorkhnias trmly"

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maeshowe

https://www.stencilarchive.org/content/viking-graffiti-scotland

Christ will mumsnetters never run out of things to be miserable about

I wanted to post that, so I’ll just add to its place in British culture

Peas was originally just a graffiti tag, but “give” and “a chance” were added when they had legal problems (I think it was multiple graffiti arrests and potentialy escalating to time in custody)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalfont_Viaduct

In 2018 it was overpainted by “Helch” which quite rightly resulted in outrage, but has also gone into legend

https://www.artofthestate.co.uk/london-graffiti/helch-graffiti/

I’m heading that way in a couple of weeks, so I’ll keep my eye out for it’s current status

The Bristol Cathedral Choir School is a state funded academy.

If his identity is correctly surmised his parents were modest m/c, not ‘posh’.

Many artists, including ‘old masters’ are forgeable / copy able. There’s a TV series based on experts not always being sure.

I love that Banksy gave the model village in Great Yarmouth (Merrivale) a much needed boost to funds after covid. We had visited during covid and chatted to the owners about it's effect on the business including the enormous amount all the hand sanitiser stations were costing.

The little stable sold for 1 million apparently so no one would be foolish enough to put the recently removed cat in the bin unless they dislike money.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-59936543
The "Go big or go home" stable no doubt boosted visitor numbers too so a double win. I believe a replica of the stable is on display now and I'll find out for sure this week as I am on holiday in Norfolk again this week and will have a day in Yarmouth. I love a model village.

Blek le Rat

How can you tell if its a real Banksy and not some pseud with a spray can?