Urban Art Association

I love reading articles by people that have literally just discovered an artist....

It's quaint

My postman thinks I'm a drug dealer because of all the packages I receive from foreign countries

...sex change capital of the world.

Tubes.....Todger shaped....Dog sniffin' it....thats what im talkin' about.

Ah that explains why your pieces took so long to arrive

Banksy will always have his place somewhere on the top of the history lists I am sure, but I really don’t see him being as relevant in many other ways. Due to the bridges he has created for himself to rest some place where he only exists by himself not only has distanced himself from the scene it has alienated him amongst his peers. New artists emerge everyday it seems and new generations continue to have an effect on today's scene. Graffiti/street art has always been about crews, peers, a community of artists and its still true today even amongst all the rock star personalities. Many people travel together gain friendships and collaborate together as a genre, its very important for the progression. Banksy is an island and an island that doesn’t produce much anymore except to private rich collectors or inside people with access to him. Sure he hits the streets when he feels like it and its destroyed or removed. How does an artist be a recluse and still have a effect on the genre without being directly involved in it? Remember I am referencing today, not 4 years ago, not 5 years ago or even 10. We all know he has put in his fair share of work, but what I am referencing is say the last couple years and the future. I see more artists being influenced by so much more than Banksy now. Those that follow the Banksy formula seem to be where they always have been releasing prints and rarely being involved with the streets. Yet I see so many other artists painting the streets and creating great art with real communities of artists that all feed off each other.

I don't think its his fault, I do feel being the purist he seems to be, It has made him a little less relevant as than he once was by his own accord as well. Yes his sales are higher everyday, Yes he is a common name, so is Damien Hirst, so are many artists that fade away for some odd reason. I don't see many artists just remain as silent as he is and maintain being relevant. J.D Salinger walked away but at least he left us with 5 new books to be released soon. Yet being a recluse, did he have an impact on his genre like Kerouac had on his peers. Maybe? I don't see it as of now personally. Financially maybe he is setting ceilings, and with the media maybe, but I am talking impactful conversation like Dekooning has with Franz Kline. When your on a pedestal its hard to be accessible, and yes many accessible artists might not go down in history but they will be remembered. Clyfford Still might not be as famous as Pollock, or Rothko yet is as if not more important than both of them.

I can compare BOTI to just another release like the one we seen from Apple recently where we all wait and are given our fix of art from someone we all appreciate. Yet the brand banksy seems to only create these marketed type events, and even spontaneous outings turn into circuses. I only mention this because it was a question I had in my mind for some time. Can an artist that alienates himself and rarely produces be as relevant in today's evolving scene of street and graffiti artists? I know Ill get backlash for the hypothetical comparison to Apple but you get the point, don't take it so literal. I'm only trying to establish a correlation to how he markets himself anytime he does anything, even if giving art away free it is never as easy as it could be. Giving a gift is an event, not something that goes unnoticed.

What has made banksy great has been assimilated in many ways by the many artists he has influenced and have adopted his style. But we all know that and many credit Blek for the stencil and its initial influence. I think Banksy is much more important and did more with it, but thats another argument. I am just referencing that influence is always present even amongst the most creative. I look at the work of the new Spanish artist Pejac I can see an artist who in some ways could be influenced by Banksy, but I see more potential to create work because he is freely in the streets painting. There is no need to hide and remain a brand, Pejacs work seems honest in a way that other intimidators of Banksy haven’t brought recently. Yet what matters to many is potential profit, and could this be the next artist to flip. You have to always add to the equation when an artist is confronted with success quickly, how do they deal with it in a way where what made them unique isnt lost. Things always change time will tell if this will happen to this artist I dont think it will for the same reason I like his work. Its honest, its painted where it should be in the street and any studio work or prints are secondary and after the fact of the street work. But I dont know it all and I could be wrong. Once an artist reaches a tier where those that advise him look out for his financial interest as well as theirs, there is no telling what effect it has on their art. From examples like Kaws, Barry Mcgee, and so forth we see less street work more studio work and some ok shows but nothing ground breaking anymore except their secondary sales. Os Gemeos seem to be an exception still maintaining a nice balance of street and studio work.

Being able to also associate and have an impact amongst your peers is as important to me as creating new work. The back and forth amongst artists and this global network that is in motion is important. These connections, talks, collaborations are crucial to the genre growing and dealing with issues amongst each other. Even the highest of artists still maintain this network. Those that don’t they are all ok and choose to do so but are they as relevant? In my mind not so much. I dont run into many artists trying to be Banksy anymore, they have new heroes and even younger idols who I might not even know yet, the genre is getting older but also younger.

So yes banksy is a legend, banksy will be remembered, banksy works will continue to rise in value, he is popular to mainstream, but is that enough? Is being popular what he set out to be, or why he continues to paint? I dont think it is, especially when I see his work. I think he cares a lot about painting Judging by his recent work. I only feel he has painted himself in a corner trying to keep the cloak and dagger aspect as well as maintaining his market value by not producing new work. He can choose to instead of give away art like he does, by releasing new work, or even old work that hasnt been made public. Yet I still feel that the Market, and secondary market play an active role in decisions made about releasing more work to the public to see. I don't see him executing his plan effectively as the genre progresses. Myspace, Facebook, now instagram we have paradigms in 5 year cycles now and art isn’t immune to the insatiable appetite we have for something new. This is just my opinion although a lengthy one.

...though will the others be able to adapt like Banksy does?, I compare him to Madonna, the use of conical Bra's, blonde wigs, squeaky voice and continuous front page shockers concerning the stage shows etc., and Madonna is much the same.

I think you're jonesing for your Banksy fix (i'll copy the one liner rather than the wall of text for visual ease).  Give it some hindsight but just in the last handful of years he's done the NY residency, the oscar-nominated film, the hometown museum and lots of street work that is already legendary.  Wait until all of those are in the distant past which is not to dismiss the prolific work he did the decade before.  Your rant that artists have moved on reminded me of the pair of "critiques" below.  Just last week i had had the pleasure of being in the mix of a group of starry-eyed art lovers who couldn't stop talking about the Banksy sensation.  Each of the 7 of them were artists from a different walk of life and it was contagious: 

www.lichtensteinfoundation.org/lifemagroy.htm

www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/kaya-19780601