Banksy antics

August 21, 2024 9:12 AM

You may have heard about Banksy works appearing in London this month. The series of whimsical depictions of animals included a mountain goat, a pair of elephants, swinging monkeys, a howling wolf, pelicans, piranhas, a rhino, and a gorilla. (Image Gallery at The Guardian)

The wolf was immediately stolen.The cat was immediately removed. The rhino was quickly vandalized as were the elephants. The gorilla, depicted facilitating an escape from the zoo, was immediately removed by the zoo for its own protection, as were the the piranhas swimming in a police box.

Speculation runs rampant about the art’s meaning, despite the obvious connection to the 2013 Siren of the Lambs.

Bonus links:another artwork had appeared in March, and if you can get it to load, this recently unveiled video claims to be the only known tv interview with Banksy.

posted by bq (26 comments total)

Stephan Merchant won't confirm or deny [from 2022]
posted by chavenet at 9:20 AM on August 21 [1 favorite]

Where was Massive Attack at the time?
posted by mykescipark at 9:23 AM on August 21 [8 favorites]

All of the art being immediately removed just makes me sad.

I don't have super deep thoughts about Banksy, but I feel like his success has been pretty good at destroying the meaning(s) of his art. Which makes me really wonder what is going on in his head.

Of course I can't really know what I'd do if I were Banksy, but I think the best version of me would have to just stop or completely reinvent myself to be unrecognizable.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 9:39 AM on August 21 [5 favorites]

FTA: “As the artist posted more images on his account, some social media users began calling the collection the ‘London zoo’ series and developed a theory that Banksy could be likening the recent far-right rioters to animals”

Wut? That's a really corrosive take. The reason people like that are scary is that they are human, and their transformation from innocent baby to hateful adult could happen to any of us in the right set of circumstances.

Instead of referring to such people as animals or monsters, has anyone considered looking at whether the society is meeting people’s basic needs? I notice again and again that the people arrested and charged for rioting and breaking shit tend to be in the insecure working class, and maybe a heavy application of safe, guaranteed housing and food etc might make these folks less vulnerable to antisocial messaging.
posted by toodleydoodley at 9:40 AM on August 21 [4 favorites]

I like the idea mentioned in the Guardian article that the series was about bringing unexpected joy to people when they noticed them.

I think we all need bits of surprise and whimsy in our lives, so thank you Banksy for bringing a smile to my face with your artwork today.
posted by Art_Pot at 10:24 AM on August 21 [11 favorites]

Instead of referring to such people as animals or monsters, has anyone considered looking at whether the society is meeting people’s basic needs? I notice again and again that the people arrested and charged for rioting and breaking shit tend to be in the insecure working class, and maybe a heavy application of safe, guaranteed housing and food etc might make these folks less vulnerable to antisocial messaging.

Yes actually. We've tried to to implement those things for many decades now, and those folks are the first ones to fight against it. Led by actual monsters way up the capitalist chain of course. But I'm real tired of trying to see their precious POV and coddle them. I came out of that background, and it is a choice to remain hateful and willfully ignorant.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 11:32 AM on August 21 [12 favorites]

I like the idea mentioned in the Guardian article that the series was about bringing unexpected joy to people when they noticed them.

Me too. Here in the USA, I love seeing the rising tide of public art in cities.
posted by doctornemo at 11:47 AM on August 21 [3 favorites]

Could all the removals and vandalism be part of it? Like steal his own wolf and vandalize others, encouraging quick removal of the rest?

I know there's a long history of his art getting removed to be sold or whatever, so maybe this is just more of that?

But intentionally doing it seems like the kind of shenanigans I wouldn't put past him.
posted by Flaffigan at 12:22 PM on August 21

“Yes actually. We've tried to to implement those things for many decades now, and those folks are the first ones to fight against it.”

Where did this happen and was means testing involved? Asking bc I also came out of that background and that’s a very real objection that people have.
posted by toodleydoodley at 12:25 PM on August 21

immediately repaint the rhino as having that tag.

I can't help but think that having the art defaced is part of the point.
posted by Ziabatsu at 12:28 PM on August 21 [3 favorites]

I’m sure it is. And stolen as well.
posted by bq at 1:12 PM on August 21 [1 favorite]

Mod note: One comment deleted, let's not turn the conversation around the US Politics.
posted by loup (staff) at 1:35 PM on August 21 [1 favorite]

Yes, let's keep trying to figure out why these poor unfortunate neo-nazis aren't being helped enough.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 1:42 PM on August 21

> 💨
posted by HearHere at 2:16 PM on August 21 [1 favorite]

I think it’s valid to distinguish between literal poor people throwing rocks while yelling the wrong slogans, and the people with money who are influencing them for the actual purpose of reshaping society. You don’t think so?
posted by toodleydoodley at 2:54 PM on August 21

I wonder if he is making money off of this public art. Does he have benefactors like the great Renaissance artists had? Is it propaganda art? I need to see his face please.
posted by Czjewel at 3:46 PM on August 21

I hope they stay anonymous forever, but I also hope it's that bloke from Massive Attack.
posted by inpHilltr8r at 4:07 PM on August 21 [1 favorite]

I hope they stay anonymous forever, but I also hope it's that bloke from Massive Attack.

Or Bobby Fingers.
posted by maxwelton at 5:22 PM on August 21 [3 favorites]

I agree with Art_Pot and doctornemo that unexpected joy, surprise and whimsy in the form of public art is wonderful. Here, in my hometown, we have the buffalopotholebandit—a great example of how one person can delight their community in many ways.
posted by Scout405 at 8:23 PM on August 21 [1 favorite]

There's a stencil painting of QEII and two generations of her male issue (sorry, I don't bother learning their names) playing guitar and drums and singing, with the Queen band logo on the drums. It's on the same road as a university where Freddy Mercury once took a drafting course and credited it once for giving him the skills to design that logo.

The university got so bad that they did a complete re-invention of themselves about a decade ago or more, changing from Thames Valley University to University of West London. I took my kid in for a musical certification during lockdown (no singing, so it was all masked up, windows open, high ceilings and only two people together at a time), and the whole building has been done up in "DID YOU KNOW: FREDDY MERCURY!!!!" nostalgia and cutesy pop references.

Anyway, I have no idea if this graffito is a Banksy or not, and I can't remember if it's been there a while. There is that goat down by Kew Bridge that is confirmed Banksy...
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 12:37 AM on August 22

Regarding 3D from Massive Attack: early interviews with Banksy were done in shadow, and then simply pitch-shifted to make his voice unrecognisable. If you pitch shift back, it is clearly Del Naja. Sorry if that spoils it for you.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 12:41 AM on August 22 [2 favorites]

Huh. I've been Massive Attack fan since 1995 or so. I have never heard that one of the band might be Banksy. Not ever! I guess I just listen to the music and don't follow the personalities.
posted by SoberHighland at 5:49 AM on August 22

I have never heard that one of the band might be Banksy

Honestly, one of my favorite internet theories because it's largely just fun to speculate. Also a huge Massive Attack fan and Bansky's stuff lines up really well with their own art. The timed self-destruction of the auctioned painting was so Massive Attack.

Here's a starter primer on the Del Naja is Banksy theory
posted by mcstayinskool at 6:28 AM on August 22 [3 favorites]

reminder about demi adejuyigbe's tweets about his roommate banksy
posted by dismas at 1:16 PM on August 22

At this point Banksy has to expect that people will swipe their art like this. “Hi I just made this random object worth more than you probably make in a year. Have fun.”
posted by egypturnash at 3:09 PM on August 22

Bridgeport mayor says Banksy 'Ghetto 4 Life' mural 'in no way' represents community
posted by bq at 10:43 AM on August 26