Banksy makes his mark on LA

By: Sarah Youngson | August 18, 2010 | Art

      Renowned British street artist, Banksy, left his mark once again on Los Angeles this summer. Banksy has become something of a graffiti legend, with a name that is now almost synonymous with the rebellious, questionably legal, and widely contested form of artistic expression. On his latest LA visit, Banksy modified (above) parking signage at 9th and Broadway, Downtown – perhaps a nod to LA’s excessive reliance on car culture and need for more open green space. He also left his mark near the 4th and La Brea, with the (below) depiction of a police officer or security worker, holding a muzzled, Jeff Koons-esque balloon dog. The commentary here could be anything regarding the obvious “muzzling” effect of the institution or art market, but more likely harks back to Banksy’s longstanding dislike of Koons works, which, in their abstract exclusivity hold their place on the opposite end of the art world spectrum, pandering to the whims of the upper class.





      Using the streets as vehicles for creative expression, graffiti, “street art”, or whatever you choose to call it, has been an undeniably effective way for the quieted, marginalized, and powerless to make their mark on the world. Often site-specific, and working with an already established scenery, the buildings and other elements of the public sphere become a living canvas on which artists can mark up, beautify, and incite discussion. While many street artists use graffiti as a means for artistic expression, the political nature of the act is inherent, and for some, the principal motivating factor behind their work. 





      Reclaiming the streets has always been the political motive for Banksy. Working as a social commentary, his street art is most often stenciled, using slogans and depictions of children, animals, soldiers, and the elderly. Dark humor is a constant, as is political satire and anti-capitalist sentiments. His work appears across the world, with one of the most controversial being the result of a 2005 trip to Palestine. Nine images were painted with the objective of critiquing the wall built by the Israeli government to surround the occupied Palestinian territories.





      Though the elusive artist has never directly sold his prints or works, they are garnering such hype and notoriety that many of his marked-up buildings are reportedly rising in property value to over twice their original price. While Banksy will never see the money gained from buildings sold featuring his works, Sotheby’s and other auction houses worldwide have been collecting outrageous sums from the sales of essentially anything he touches. Some favorites have been Warhol-style Kate Moss silk-screens, which fetched £50,400, The Whitehouse in Liverpool (featuring a giant stenciled rat), which sold for £114,000 at auction, and Space Girl & Bird, which, at over 20 times Bonhams of London’s original estimate, claimed a whopping £288,000. Not to be left out of the Banksy hype, Christina Aguilera even brought an original Banksy featuring Queen Victoria as a lesbian and two prints for £25,000.





      While the revenue generated is fascinating, it also raises questions about street art’s authenticity and effectiveness as a subversive social tool. Intended to critique the institution, works that end up gaining such a popular following, and in turn, real monetary value, end up following the exact same capitalistic, market-driven road. While Banksy still claims to retain his sense of counter-cultural rebellion, other artists (Shepard Fairey, for one) have been more blatant about their openness to retail opportunities and sneaker designs. Regardless of passing trends and consumer interests, however, street art remains a vital part of our urban landscapes worldwide. A constant source of insight into the lives of those without power, and outside the boundaries of the institutional framework of the art world, graffiti will continue to be a relevant, unique and captivating form of artistic expression.


      Banksy was in Los Angeles for the premiere of his recent documentary, entitled Exit Through the Gift Shop. Below is a clip of the UK trailer. Exit Through the Gift Shop, which had it’s international debut at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, and opens in theatres across America from August through October.

http://www.banksy.co.uk

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