shaunyboy
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March 2008
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Banksy runs risk of public unmasking..., by shaunyboy on Aug 30, 2009 20:45:06 GMT 1, www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/aug/30/banksy-exhibition-risks-public-unmasking
Banksy runs risk of public unmasking at Bristol show
Reclusive artist Banksy believed to be sneaking into museum to alter exhibits at his own show
* Paul Gallagher
* The Observer, Sunday 30 August 2009
Banksy, the enigmatic artist who fiercely guards his anonymity, has risked being unmasked by sneaking into the museum housing his latest and biggest exhibition to make changes to his artworks.
Banksy vs Bristol Museum, the phenomenally popular new show in the artist's home town, has been evolving since it opened on 13 June, with additions to artworks appearing mysteriously overnight. It is believed that Banksy himself has been sneaking in to make the changes, risking being caught by security guards or cleaning staff.
Flowers suddenly appeared one morning on one of the largest works on display โ a burnt-out, spray-painted ice-cream van that sits under a giant melted cone.
A suicidal and drunk Ronald McDonald, perched on a ledge near the exit contemplating leaping to his death, appeared outside in late July, while a bubblegum machine containing a toy spider, and a Michael Jackson painting, in which Jackson is kneeling down enticing Hansel and Gretel with a sugar cane, appeared just days after the singer's death.
"The exhibition has certainly evolved as changes have been made," said Rebecca Burton, deputy head of Bristol Museum and one of the show's organisers.
"I suspect Banksy himself made the changes. He may also have been here mingling with the public, or joining those in the queue, as I'm sure he would be curious how the public are reacting to his work. But I couldn't tell you for sure, as I have never met him."
When the exhibition closes tomorrow night, more than 300,000 people will have seen the 100 works of art, which include 78 new works, animatronics and installations, collected largely from private lenders around the world. Queues have been more than a mile long, with some people waiting up to eight hours in the rain to see the biggest collection of Banksy's artworks ever assembled.
It has been the artist's first solo exhibition in his home town since 2000 and the first public show of any kind since his much smaller Los Angeles warehouse show three years ago, which attracted many A-list celebrities.
While installing his works, Banksy ordered that all CCTV footage be destroyed so that no camera could capture him on film. The contract between artist and museum was released by public request with some names blacked out. An explanatory letter said: "Disclosure may lead to the identity of the artist being at risk."
Fans rushed to his latest show after the artist replaced his official website homepage with a typically unsavoury image of an ice-cream dropped in a pile of dog faeces, next to the words: "Banksy Summer Show Opens June 13".
The lack of pre-show publicity proved to be irrelevant, as 8,500 people arrived over the first weekend and it has been a "one in, one out" regime for nearly every hour of the 10-week run. A preview of the show is currently one of the most-watched clips on YouTube with nearly 700,000 views.
Bristol was selected because the artist wanted to "give something back" to the city closest to Yate, where he is believed to have been born. It is one of the few pieces of information that the public know about him with any certainty.
In a rare statement, he said: "The people in Bristol have always been very good to me โ I decided the best way to show my appreciation was by putting a bunch of old toilets and some live chicken nuggets in their museum.
"I could have taken the show to a lot of places, but they do have a very nice cup of tea in the museum.
"This is the first show I've ever done where taxpayers' money is being used to hang my pictures up rather than scrape them off."
The museum wanted to extend the run beyond tomorrow, but, with many pieces donated by private lenders, it was not possible.
"It's been amazing and a privilege to be part of this," said Burton.
"Several pieces have come from around the world, and Banksy designed the exhibition specifically for Bristol Museum.
"He even used other permanent exhibitions, such as putting a Degas-style ballerina in a pottery case, to complement his work. I don't think we'll see its like again."
www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/aug/30/banksy-exhibition-risks-public-unmaskingBanksy runs risk of public unmasking at Bristol show Reclusive artist Banksy believed to be sneaking into museum to alter exhibits at his own show * Paul Gallagher * The Observer, Sunday 30 August 2009 Banksy, the enigmatic artist who fiercely guards his anonymity, has risked being unmasked by sneaking into the museum housing his latest and biggest exhibition to make changes to his artworks. Banksy vs Bristol Museum, the phenomenally popular new show in the artist's home town, has been evolving since it opened on 13 June, with additions to artworks appearing mysteriously overnight. It is believed that Banksy himself has been sneaking in to make the changes, risking being caught by security guards or cleaning staff. Flowers suddenly appeared one morning on one of the largest works on display โ a burnt-out, spray-painted ice-cream van that sits under a giant melted cone. A suicidal and drunk Ronald McDonald, perched on a ledge near the exit contemplating leaping to his death, appeared outside in late July, while a bubblegum machine containing a toy spider, and a Michael Jackson painting, in which Jackson is kneeling down enticing Hansel and Gretel with a sugar cane, appeared just days after the singer's death. "The exhibition has certainly evolved as changes have been made," said Rebecca Burton, deputy head of Bristol Museum and one of the show's organisers. "I suspect Banksy himself made the changes. He may also have been here mingling with the public, or joining those in the queue, as I'm sure he would be curious how the public are reacting to his work. But I couldn't tell you for sure, as I have never met him." When the exhibition closes tomorrow night, more than 300,000 people will have seen the 100 works of art, which include 78 new works, animatronics and installations, collected largely from private lenders around the world. Queues have been more than a mile long, with some people waiting up to eight hours in the rain to see the biggest collection of Banksy's artworks ever assembled. It has been the artist's first solo exhibition in his home town since 2000 and the first public show of any kind since his much smaller Los Angeles warehouse show three years ago, which attracted many A-list celebrities. While installing his works, Banksy ordered that all CCTV footage be destroyed so that no camera could capture him on film. The contract between artist and museum was released by public request with some names blacked out. An explanatory letter said: "Disclosure may lead to the identity of the artist being at risk." Fans rushed to his latest show after the artist replaced his official website homepage with a typically unsavoury image of an ice-cream dropped in a pile of dog faeces, next to the words: "Banksy Summer Show Opens June 13". The lack of pre-show publicity proved to be irrelevant, as 8,500 people arrived over the first weekend and it has been a "one in, one out" regime for nearly every hour of the 10-week run. A preview of the show is currently one of the most-watched clips on YouTube with nearly 700,000 views. Bristol was selected because the artist wanted to "give something back" to the city closest to Yate, where he is believed to have been born. It is one of the few pieces of information that the public know about him with any certainty. In a rare statement, he said: "The people in Bristol have always been very good to me โ I decided the best way to show my appreciation was by putting a bunch of old toilets and some live chicken nuggets in their museum. "I could have taken the show to a lot of places, but they do have a very nice cup of tea in the museum. "This is the first show I've ever done where taxpayers' money is being used to hang my pictures up rather than scrape them off." The museum wanted to extend the run beyond tomorrow, but, with many pieces donated by private lenders, it was not possible. "It's been amazing and a privilege to be part of this," said Burton. "Several pieces have come from around the world, and Banksy designed the exhibition specifically for Bristol Museum. "He even used other permanent exhibitions, such as putting a Degas-style ballerina in a pottery case, to complement his work. I don't think we'll see its like again."
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