POW Open Day • 2008

[manchestermike]

Dec 10, 2008 11:57:12 GMT 1 James Smith 77 said:

Robin - your right. I know I need to get a grip. This situation just bothers me more than usual. I have missed the last few releases and just upset. But, I honestly think I am sorta right. I mean come on, how would you feel having to wake up at 3am to buy prints? My point is that I think POW need to adjust their offering times a bit. Think of your entire fan base.

I wouldn't... I'd prefer a good nights sleep. I probably wouldn't even know about the print as they'd only have emailed a few hours before... same way I wouldn't queue overnight in the street, a la Nick Walker earlier this year. And as has been said before, US galleries sell prints at certain times, when the UK is asleep etc... it's the way of the world.

Maybe I should write to the NFL and ask them to move the next Superbowl by a few hours as I'd like to be asleep by midnight

[Martin Whatson]

I agree that NOLA probably would have been best suited to be released in New Orleans or something!
But honestly, what does a print with a tesco bag do for someone outside the UK???
We all have a chance at the online releases at least now that they advertise them before they is released!!
I just think its fair that some of BRITISH born Banksy is UK exlusives!

Also, you had an awsome show in LA, a couple of HUGE rats in NY and more stencils in LA and New Orleans then uk or europe has had in a few years!
I say you are lucky!!

[jonnyx]

"Does POW care about the U.S.? "

no. get over it and move on.

does Gap care about the uk? they don't have a uk website and i can't order clothes from the US site boo-hoo.

as i remember, in the uk we couldn't even buy an obama print because of electoral fundraising regulations. no-one pissed and moaned about it (well not much anyway).

the global economy no longer revolves around the USA.

[origo]

US syndrom?

[alsbabar]

what about when Shepard Fairey released prints only for the USA? Is he serving his entire fan base then?

Look even some people in the UK lucked out - there are some gutted people about, who did go to the event, who did queue up in the cold - but thats the way it goes. If you wanted a print so badly, you should have come over and taken your chance, i think i read somewhere that a couple of your countrymen actually did.

[James Smith 77]

Just like "who outside of Europe would care about a print with a Tesco bag on it". Who outside the US would care about a black politician that MAY (at the time) be able to run for president?

[horizonmike]

Dec 10, 2008 8:53:19 GMT 1 weeble said:

What price is the new Micallefs being sold at? Doubt they'll flop, but to be honest I thought they were pretty bland. Nothing compared to his Harajuku days. I don't think any of the recent POW prints did anything for me, so on that level thought it was a flop all round! The Xenx was probably my fave, but decided it just didn't quite set me alight enough. Nice, but did it have that 'I HAVE TO HAVE IT ON THE WALL, NOW!!' feel? Not for me. And I don't understand the fuss on the Eelus prints! Something looks weird about those girls to me, like their bodies are too long or something, and one looks like a dwarf. Weird. Looks like the poster to some cheesy 80s vampire flick or something. lol. Anyway, I think it's all too easy for people to get caught up in the fray and fever - I mean you should have seen the guy in front of me, panicking like he just had to buy something regardless of what it was, literally going ape sh*t. Even the POW girls were like, what?!!??! lol. For all the fuss, I don't think any of the prints had enough wow factor. IMO of course...

Bethleham is £500.

[jonnyx]

Dec 10, 2008 12:06:30 GMT 1 James Smith 77 said:

Just like "who outside of Europe would care about a print with a Tesco bag on it". Who outside the US would care about a black politician that MAY (at the time) be able to run for president?

i think obama's a bit more of a global, iconic, historic figure. unlike tesco which is essentially a uk-only retailing phenomenon.

[sand]

Out of the 3 available in the lottery - Bethlehem.

Out of all the rest - Blu's 'Headquarters' is a cracking print, surprised there isn't more interest in it. Easily surpasses the Eelus and Bast for me.

[James Smith 77]

Dec 10, 2008 12:03:53 GMT 1 origo said:

US syndrom?

For sure! Thats what a 4:30am wake up causes.

[James Smith 77]

Dec 10, 2008 12:10:13 GMT 1 jonnyx said:

Dec 10, 2008 12:06:30 GMT 1 James Smith 77 said:

Just like "who outside of Europe would care about a print with a Tesco bag on it". Who outside the US would care about a black politician that MAY (at the time) be able to run for president?

i think obama's a bit more of a global, iconic, historic figure. unlike tesco which is essentially a uk-only retailing phenomenon.

Now for sure. But not when Progress and Hope first came out. I mean technically he wasn't even supposed to win. He was just running in the primaries for the CHANCE to run for president.

[wimpy]

I'm from the US.

I recall getting a Banksy (I think it was Morons Sepia) at 12pm or so EST (US eastern) after the whole site crash and 1,000 people being assigned the same # print and whatnot. That would have made it 5am in London, where the POW peeps stayed up all night to fix some problems and release the rest properly. They must really hate us! I'm pretty sure they just release stuff when it is convenient for them during normal daytime work hours (unless something goes wrong). Wouldn't that be the way you'd do it? Yaknow... work 8am to 5pm or so then want to go have a beer and relax and sleep?

And us electing a black democratic president has a HUGE bearing on how the world sees us and will continue to interact with us. We also have our own "Tesco" type places here, so that message isn't lost.

[elwheel]

You need to knock that huge fucking french frie off your shoulder and stop your crying pronto. 800,000 dead Iraqis is a problem, this my friend is not.

[jonnyx]

also whether you like it or not american culture has a wider reach, especially in the uk where we tend to buy into the cultural products and figures that america produces. if an american artist had produced a similar work substituting a wal-mart bag there probably wouldn't have been *that* much interest in the uk as it's outside of our cultural frame of reference.

[victorwilliams]

I just emailed Pictures on Walls for you and got this response.

' We do not care about the U.S. '

Hope that clears things up for you.

[sand]

Dec 10, 2008 12:14:31 GMT 1 victorwilliams said:

I just emailed Pictures on Walls for you and got this response.

' We do not care about the U.S. '

Hope that clears things up for you.

;D ;D ;D ;D

[bonesy]

NOLA should have been released somewhere in the US in person, I agree with that, and the Pet Shop would have been perfect.
Beyond that though Im not complaining, the LA Show was huge- although it was obviously done there to grab the attention of Paris Hilton and everyone else that Banksy, himself, is supposed to be against.

Banksy: "Hollywood?"
Lazarides: "It'll be great! Shepard has an opening there too this weekend. You can do a stunt at that corporate fuc* Disneyland. ($I can get Brad and Angelina at the opening$).We'll get an old dirty warehouse to exhibit at."

[James Smith 77]

Thanks guys. This board has a knack for always making me feel better. At least make a laugh a bit. But...whatever I still think these last two releases were not fair.

[Winter]

Tesco is called Fresh and Easy in the US. Maybe they should do a version for the US market.

[twist65]

heh heh victor!

[phoenixlune]

I think plunging the world into economic crisis and uncertainty answers your question

[Martin DK]

If just my biggest problem was missing out on a Banksy release.

Remeber it not only you in the US that misses out on this many does, im from Denmark, I miss out on this also. But the thing is, we, you, me and many other have decided to collect UK Street/Urban art, no one else told us too. Sometimes, well, the art just stays in the U.K. just like all the great street work theres around in London.

That being said, I personally know that a lot of people on this forum will go a long way to help a forum member, most of the time you just got to ask. I would have loved one of the Insect paste-ups from POW the other day, and someone on here actually went down to look for them for me, someone also put a ticket in the lottery for me, and someone have sent me a couple of freebies from past show etc.

Youre clearly sad that you missed out, so are many others. Banksy may be the godfather, but theres so much other great stuff out there. One of my problems is the money, I have no job, but luckily I personally I think a £20 print can easily be as beautiful as a print costing 10 times more.

So chin up, maybe you get what you'll like next time.

[Rsyok]

Dec 10, 2008 12:14:31 GMT 1 victorwilliams said:

I just emailed Pictures on Walls for you and got this response.

' We do not care about the U.S. '

Hope that clears things up for you.

Sounds fair enough. Ooh I wonder what new Obama 'artwork' will come out in 2009

[dmandpenfold]

how did banksy print sales turn into Americans v. Brits showdown, this is getting ludicrous, it's paper, it's ink.....money and materialism always seems to bring out the worst... Bongo was right to get the fuck out of Dodge

[anthoz]

Dec 10, 2008 12:45:40 GMT 1 dmandpenfold said:

how did banksy print sales turn into Americans v. Brits showdown, this is getting ludicrous, it's paper, it's ink.....money and materialism always seems to bring out the worst... Bongo was right to get the fuck out of Dodge

Appreciating your Dodge with a capital D!!

[welshboy]

no

[andyctree]

They normally release prints around 6:30am EST. It sucks for the west coasters, but that is just when I wake-up so it is fine with me. It's a great way to start your day if you get the print. I also don't think they sit there and go, "How can we make this fair for the US." Probably not their biggest concern.

[hick]

Does anyone care about the u.s ?

[shower]

for my it has to be blu headquarters. as soon as i saw i had to have it, its a fantastic print, great quality and so interesting to look at and explore!

i thought the eelus and lucy mc prints looked quality in the flesh but im not a big fan and there were other prints i much prefered. i wasnt sure about the bast but the more i look at it the more i like it. i have seen better by him but i wouldnt complain if i owned one myself, really nice work! also have to mention the insect on metal, anyone who owns that is very lucky. out of the lotto prints my fav was the banksy, simple decision really, shame i missed out again! however i aslo quite liked bethlehem, would be good to see pictures of some framed up on peoples walls!

one prrint that no one seems to have mentioned is the sam3 prints on silver paper and card, both editions of 10 i think. the image was of a large guy knelt down with his figer held out, on the end of his finger a little girl was swinging. this image was on the side of a building with cars in the foreground. the print was amazing but 400quid seemed a lot to me. i would be interested to see if anyone purchased one!

[Deleted]

Does the U.S care about the POW's in Abu Ghraib, Guantanenamo Bay etc....?

P*** off!