Banksy - Better Out Than In - New York - BOTI, by nrgball on Oct 30, 2013 22:01:27 GMT 1,

Oct 30, 2013 14:40:53 GMT 1 spirit said:

I think the Nazi works on a couple of levels...

First there is the simple visual contrast gag - the last thing you expect to see in that beautiful countryside scene is a nazi - its therefore amusing when you do.

But the title of the image is also important which references the "Banality of Evil" - a book by Hannah Arendt which reported on the trial of Adolf Eichmann.

The point of that book is that although being one of the major organisers of the Holocaust, Eichmann did not come across as anti-semitic or psychopathic - he was no monster. One doctor remarked that the only unusual trait Eichmann displayed was being more "normal" in his habits and speech than the average person. He displayed neither guilt nor hatred at his trial claiming he bore no responsibility as he was just doing his job.

In other words you don't have to be an "evil" person to do "evil" things. "Normal" people can do terrible things in certain situations.

In Banksy's image what we see is a Nazi (generally perceived as evil) doing something banally normal - sitting down and enjoying the view.

Of course Banksy adds the double twist of calling it The banality of the banality of evil. Still getting my head round that bit!

I don't think this post got the love that it should. Most of the meaning went straight over the heads of many. And this post begins to wrestle with the complicated nature of the art and of history. Many wealthy New Yorkers will understand the significance of these trials and the irony in the canvas, it will appeal to those folks because it reveals a tremendous amount about Banksy: he's intelligent in a way that they can now accept, well read, knows his history, can paint quite well with oils(meaning he's not simply a street vandal) and is charitable. Yesterday's piece goes quite a long way in sharing much with the art collecting and critics world, I wonder how much they are observing?

Oct 30, 2013 14:40:53 GMT 1 spirit said:

I think the Nazi works on a couple of levels...

First there is the simple visual contrast gag - the last thing you expect to see in that beautiful countryside scene is a nazi - its therefore amusing when you do.

But the title of the image is also important which references the "Banality of Evil" - a book by Hannah Arendt which reported on the trial of Adolf Eichmann.

The point of that book is that although being one of the major organisers of the Holocaust, Eichmann did not come across as anti-semitic or psychopathic - he was no monster. One doctor remarked that the only unusual trait Eichmann displayed was being more "normal" in his habits and speech than the average person. He displayed neither guilt nor hatred at his trial claiming he bore no responsibility as he was just doing his job.

In other words you don't have to be an "evil" person to do "evil" things. "Normal" people can do terrible things in certain situations.

In Banksy's image what we see is a Nazi (generally perceived as evil) doing something banally normal - sitting down and enjoying the view.

Of course Banksy adds the double twist of calling it The banality of the banality of evil. Still getting my head round that bit!

I don't think this post got the love that it should. Most of the meaning went straight over the heads of many. And this post begins to wrestle with the complicated nature of the art and of history. Many wealthy New Yorkers will understand the significance of these trials and the irony in the canvas, it will appeal to those folks because it reveals a tremendous amount about Banksy: he's intelligent in a way that they can now accept, well read, knows his history, can paint quite well with oils(meaning he's not simply a street vandal) and is charitable. Yesterday's piece goes quite a long way in sharing much with the art collecting and critics world, I wonder how much they are observing?