[funster]

With the Banksy and Neate prices these days I can't help but feel we're in a little cosmo of people who really appreciate artists yet still feel that when they 'escape' our world (forum) we look in awe of them. It seems ironic that when I first joined this forum I knew of Banksy as this anti-capitalist warrior, now it's the capitalists (including his own manager) who woof down the Bonhams champagne before spending a little % of their city bonuses on having a new status symbol pinned onto their central London loft apartment walls. £80k+ for a Banksy isn't being bought from people amongst us. £6,500 for a Neate print is nuts, I'm not saying whether or not it's a good investment, I'm just saying that for a piece of paper it's crazy prices. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe this forum is the secret front of Flavio Briatores Billionaire Boys Club and no-one really gives a f**k and all this time I've thought it was about the love and appreciation of art that means something. In short I'm pleased that some people who believed in Banksy at the beginning have sold their canvasses for some serious wonga, at the same time it's ashame when you think of the walls they now adorn. Nuff said. ;D

[f5ers]

Money, fame, power... greed. We all get sucked into it and writing on this forum and being fans will power it!!

[Monkey]

fun10ver said:

With the Banksy and Neate prices these days I can't help but feel we're in a little cosmo of people who really appreciate artists yet still feel that when they 'escape' our world (forum) we look in awe of them. It seems ironic that when I first joined this forum I knew of Banksy as this anti-capitalist warrior, now it's the capitalists (including his own manager) who woof down the Bonhams champagne before spending a little % of their city bonuses on having a new status symbol pinned onto their central London loft apartment walls. £80k+ for a Banksy isn't being bought from people amongst us. £6,500 for a Neate print is nuts, I'm not saying whether or not it's a good investment, I'm just saying that for a piece of paper it's crazy prices. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe this forum is the secret front of Flavio Briatores Billionaire Boys Club and no-one really gives a f**k and all this time I've thought it was about the love and appreciation of art that means something. In short I'm pleased that some people who believed in Banksy at the beginning have sold their canvasses for some serious wonga, at the same time it's ashame when you think of the walls they now adorn. Nuff said. ;D

Not a truer word spoken on here in a long time, Great post, +1 from me..........

[Daniel Silk]

Well said Fun10ver ;D

I think its good to remember that its not over! ;D ok, Banksy and some other artists might be out of reach for most people, but if you look about you can still find wonderful art from new and unheard of artists just breaking onto the scene ;D Things keep moving, and its ever changing ;D The thing is not to stand still and only ever look at the few artists that have made it big, but to keep your eyes and mind open ;D

[aj]

Just read this. bit harsh i thought (sorry about having to paste text)

There is quite a lot that can be (and has been) said about the British born, graffiti artist working under the nom de plume of Banksy. Mostly it’s praise; most of that praise some how using the word “genius.”

Well, Guardian art critic Jonathan Jones is a bit perplexed of that attribution of the word genius, to say the least. In his recent article Best of British?, Jones explores the cult that has developed around this figure, and whether or not Banksy is worth the hype, and despite Jones’ attempts to actually like Banksy’s art, he closes out the essay with this paragraph

After wallowing in this stuff for a while, I almost found myself hating Banksy’s fans. But actually, it’s fine to like him so long as you don’t kid yourself that this is “art” - and you don’t believe that for one second, do you? Sotheby’s well-educated connoisseurs surely don’t believe it either. Collectors presumably do, so the joke’s on them. Perhaps the rise of Banksy is the fall of Art - that is, the waning of art as the force it has been in recent culture. A decade ago, the art of the Damien Hirst generation pushed itself into anyone’s view of what was happening in Britain. Probably the rise of Banksy means that moment is coming to an end; people care more about other things. He is a background artist, as in background music: like all graffiti, his is essentially an accompaniment to other activities. Chunky sprayed-letter graffiti is a background to skateboarding. Banksy is a background to hating New Labour. The reason to admire Damien Hirst is that he makes art as if art mattered. In Banksy, the philistines are getting their revenge.

Comments (2)

[JD]

F*ckin art critics, what a pratt. You only have to read wall and piece to see Banksy is an artist. Christ Ive just given this tosserr Jonathan Jones from the Guardian ( I mean pleasssse) 30 more seconds than he deserves. Hey and he's not the framer in North London you all rave about is he?

joke

[sausageboonwee]

I recently got Wall and Piece for my birthday (finally) and it shows that he is an artist with a distinct execution and wry wit. He has also led a whole art movement (not dis-similar to Warhol). Art is as much about ideas as execution and Banksy delivers time and time again. The problem most art critics have is that he gets a damn large share of press attention most of which they have participated in. There are many fantastic artists out there but a bunch of flowers look so much more interesting being thrown by a rioter than in a bloody vase.

[carlito]

that art critic only proves that Banksy is doing what he set out to do... bypass the elitist bollox and appeal to real people , in a way alot of the artists he'll wank over could never do....art for the masses with a real message that speaks directly to the man on the street...all he shows in that paragraph is that he's a snob and doesn't like the common man getting involved

[Rourke]

I dont't know as much as you lot yet, I don't like reading much but found this a really interestesting post +1

I think Banksy is 1 of a few artists in history to create a brand name out of what they do. I don't own a Banksy print but I would like to in the future. I can't afford it.
Maybe 1 day… eh!

I find him and the whole thing around him, inspirational. So good on him.

I agree with Silky, that they are others, that I bet have also found him inspriational.

I don't think its the end, I think its the beginning.

[JD]

carlito said:

that art critic only proves that Banksy is doing what he set out to do... bypass the elitist bollox and appeal to real people , in a way alot of the artists he'll wank over could never do....art for the masses with a real message that speaks directly to the man on the street...all he shows in that paragraph is that he's a snob and doesn't like the common man getting involved

Yes nice one Carlito your right. He's a snob. Empty vessels make most noise.

[wildbill]

aj said:

Just read this. bit harsh i thought (sorry about having to paste text)

There is quite a lot that can be (and has been) said about the British born, graffiti artist working under the nom de plume of Banksy. Mostly it’s praise; most of that praise some how using the word “genius.”

Well, Guardian art critic Jonathan Jones is a bit perplexed of that attribution of the word genius, to say the least. In his recent article Best of British?, Jones explores the cult that has developed around this figure, and whether or not Banksy is worth the hype, and despite Jones’ attempts to actually like Banksy’s art, he closes out the essay with this paragraph

After wallowing in this stuff for a while, I almost found myself hating Banksy’s fans. But actually, it’s fine to like him so long as you don’t kid yourself that this is “art” - and you don’t believe that for one second, do you? Sotheby’s well-educated connoisseurs surely don’t believe it either. Collectors presumably do, so the joke’s on them. Perhaps the rise of Banksy is the fall of Art - that is, the waning of art as the force it has been in recent culture. A decade ago, the art of the Damien Hirst generation pushed itself into anyone’s view of what was happening in Britain. Probably the rise of Banksy means that moment is coming to an end; people care more about other things. He is a background artist, as in background music: like all graffiti, his is essentially an accompaniment to other activities. Chunky sprayed-letter graffiti is a background to skateboarding. Banksy is a background to hating New Labour. The reason to admire Damien Hirst is that he makes art as if art mattered. In Banksy, the philistines are getting their revenge.

Comments (2)

jonathon jones is a dumbass.

"Sotheby’s well-educated connoisseurs surely don’t believe it either."...........what a f*cking douche bag.

It seems that most of these aging art critics are having a problem accepting the fact that its 2007. Times have changed.....tradition is irrelevant.........the market is global.

[aj]

For me, art should stir emotions and thats what i love about banksy! I get such mixed feelings when looking at napalm, its a quality image with amazing detail but quite disturbing, banksy art is always a great conversation starter and does more for me than most of the sh#t thats
hanging in the Tate. IMO

But opinions are like G.spots!!! every c#nts got one. ;D

[finsburyparkranger]

You beat me to it Carlo . It seems some art critics hate banksy with all their might. I can't help but think its because no one needs a sodding art critic to tell people whether banksy is any good because he's one artist that is incredibly talented at communicating directly to his audience with no need of some ponce from the telegraph to tell us what we should consider to be good art or not.

What artist has managed to communicate the absurdity of the art world as clinically as Banksy in morons? Or mock the establishment for criminalising street artists in his clown piece 'I told you to not to say that joke twice'...


Or question the notion of bombing a country to 'protect the local people' with such finess....


Or the absurdity of treating our environment like its our income rather than our capital...


Who had the foresight to crown this generations Marilyn and defined a new post pop art chapter in art history by doing so ...


who managed to address the notion 'what is art' with such humour...


Or furthered the awareness of race, slavery and modern day capitalism any more poetically and succinctly than this...


Anyway, its a new digital era, we are the art critics, the people. No need for them anymore, they are just one voice among many. They can have their opinion of course ... but they're wrong.

[wezzley]

top post that finsbury...I feel like a rallied troop! Chaarge!

[becksaboo]

great post finsbury. the critics write that stuff because it gets them attention and a reaction. No 'normal' people give a toss about the other stuff they write