Signs of the Post-Street Art Age...

Photo by carnagenyc via Instigram

When we saw the first pictures of Banksy's outdoor piece on October 1st in NYC, we immediately noticed the sign. Appearing to be held on the wall by mere screws, the "Graffiti Is A Crime" placard seemed to invite it's own removal. There was no doubt in our minds that it would be stolen only to reappear on eBay with an exorbitant price tag.  As it turns out we were correct about it being stolen, but we never anticipated the rest.

via @sozism on Instigram

Sometime between the evening of October 1st and the morning of October 2nd the original sign was removed.  Also, during this same time period Smart Crew replaced the missing signage with their own version reading: "Street Art Is A Crime". Instagram users posted pictures of both versions, some unaware that the sign had even been replaced. The Smart Crew sign lasted until the morning when all signage was removed and the piece was buffed.

via @signofbanksy on Instagram

Then the sign, (or at least someone purporting to have the sign and possessing marginal photoshop editing skills), popped up unexpectedly on Instagram under the account name @signofbanksy. If you believe the photos, the sign spent some time hanging out in various locations around New York.  It even went to view another Banksy site. And then the sign dropped out of sight again...

...until today when this popped up on someone's Bigcartel site. Yes it's true, you can now order a first rate bootleg of the purloined Banksy placard direct from the UK. You gotta give props for the speed of this knockoff venture! After all, it's only been a week since the original went missing. If you're wondering whether there really is market for this kind of thing, based on the volume of reproduction Banksy merchandise currently available for purchase on the internet the answer is a resounding yes.





And speaking of the internet, why hasn't the original sign popped up for sale there? Traditionally eBay is the sale platform of choice for purloined street pieces.  Is it because:
a) the possessor of the sign knows that it is potentially salable through an auction house for tens of thousands of dollars.
b) the possessor fears that any public display or sale of the piece would alert the property owner of the wall from which it was removed who will immediately challenge the ownership and the sale of the sign.
c) the possessor has realized that what he has done is not simply the removal of a piece of street art,  but a felonious theft of a high value piece of art for which he may be subject to arrest.
d) the possessor of the sign is Banksy himself who has been participating in the destruction of the street pieces to prevent them from falling into the hands of speculators and collectors.

This is far from over.  It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Street Art on The Simpsons...Again.

The Simpsons turns its poignant satirical eye towards the world of Street Art in an episode that is scheduled to air March 4th, 2010.  In  Episode 15 – “Exit Though The Kwik-E-Mart”, Bart and Milhouse get caught by a posse of celebrated street artists (Shepard Fairey, Ron English, Kenny Scharf and Robbie Conal; who all do their own voices for the episode) while putting up images of Homer.  Instead of discouraging the illegal activities, according to Fairey's blog: "to Bart’s surprise, they invite him to exhibit his satirical artwork in his very own gallery show."  Given the title of the episode, and the history of past work with that other high profile street artist, we're going to keep our eyes peeled for Banksy references.

Let the whining over the death of street art commence... now.

opening on January 20th: STUCK UP!

Maxwell Colette Gallery and DB Burkeman are excited to present STUCK UP: A Selected History of Alternative and Popular Culture Told Though Stickers. This traveling exhibition, curated by Burkeman from his extensive personal collection, provides an unparalleled opportunity to explore the expanding role that stickers have played in popular culture over the past four decades. The collection focuses on Music (including Punk Rock, Hip Hop, and Rave Culture), Skateboard Culture, Political Campaigns, Branding, and Culture Jamming. STUCK UP... features stickers from Street Art legends (Banksy, Barry McGee, Shepard Fairey, Space Invader, KAWS), and internationally lauded contemporary artists not necessarily known for stickers (Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer, Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, Tom Sachs) shown side by side with anonymous stickers peeled from the streets of NYC.

STUCK UP... will kick off its run in Chicago with two days of special events. On Friday, January 20th Maxwell Colette Gallery and DB Burkeman will host the exhibition’s opening reception from 6pm - 10pm. Beverages will be provided courtesy of Modelo.  Then on Saturday, January 21st the gallery will host a book signing from 1pm - 3pm featuring DB Burkeman and the celebrated photographer, author, and self- described sticker thief Martha Cooper.  Coffee and baked goods at the signing will come courtesy of Sweet Cakes Bakery and Metropolis Coffee Company.  Burkeman and Cooper will be signing copies of Burkeman's book Stickers: From Punk Rock to Contemporary Art  which is available in Chicago at Quimby's.

Concurrent with these happenings, the gallery will present a selection of sticker-based collage work from the ever-talented Chris Mendoza, and will showcase an incarnation of Slap Happy , the charity sticker invitational that made its debut as a part of SCOPE 2011 in Miami.  Slap Happy features stickers created by an international group of 75 visual communicators. This will be the only place outside of SCOPE where the limited edition stickers and signed black books from the project will be available to view and purchase in person.

Mark your calendars now and be sure to join us for this incredible weekend of sticker-related festivities!

New Work From Banksy + FAQ's

There has been much speculation about whether or not new work from Banksy has been popping up in Britain over the last few weeks.  Starting back in November there were the monopoly themed 'Occupy' installation and the 'shop till you drop' wall piece, among others.  Over the last week we have seen pictures of two very similar miniature crop duster planes spraying hearts (or doing crazy loops?) painted in London and Liverpool.  Over the weekend the signage above was spotted in London as well.

Now we have confirmation of the authenticity of at least some of these works in the form of pictures posted in the newly updated 'outside' section on Banksy's website.  Also posted on the site are the following FAQ's with Mr. B's informative responses.  Who knew that he liked Käthe Kollwitz and copied 3D from Massive Attack?!!


Frequently asked questions


Is it cheating to use stencils?
Stencils are good for two reasons;
One - they’re quick ; two - they annoy idiots.


Why are you such a sell out?
I wish I had a pound for every time someone asked me that. 


Is Banksy just a big brand these days? Do you even paint your own pictures?
It’s not supposed to be a brand, which is why people in advertising think it’s such a good one. I paint it all myself unless its illegal, in which case I’ve never seen any of it before, your honour. 


Is Exit Through the Gift Shop real?
Yes. 


Are you still friends with Mr. Brainwash?
I like to think so. When I asked him what he thought about the film he said “This is a cult movie, this is a classic movie, this movie stands alone – like The Godfather.” 


Did you paint over Robbo’s piece and have him beaten up?
His piece in Camden had been dogged for more than five years by the time I painted that spot. It’s a real shame about his accident and I hope he fully recovers. I would never deliberately cuss Robbo – he’s a graffiti legend.
And he’s bigger than me. Click Here


Did you rip off Blek le Rat?
No, I copied 3D from Massive Attack. He can actually draw. 


Do you need an intern?
No thanks. 


Why are you so annoying?
It’s not all my fault, sometimes they make it up - I’ve never vandalized a war memorial, painted Kate Moss’s kitchen or visited the Playboy club with Ashley Cole wearing a skull mask. 


What artists do you rate?
Käthe Kollwitz is my favourite. Partly because her drawing style is so beautiful, and partly because she thought being an artist was self-indulgent crap and became a doctor in an orphanage instead. 


Can you donate a picture for my charity auction?
What are you? Blind? In which case maybe. I mostly support projects working to restore sight and prevent eye disease. Or as I like to call it ‘expanding the market’. 

Keep an eye on Banksy's site and The Lonely Villein's Flickr for further developments.

Art In The Streets In The Museum

By Rachel Schwerin
The opening of "Art in the Streets" at LA's Museum of Contemporary Art has spawned a rash of tagging in downtown Los Angeles. The museum says such 'anarchic' work was anticipated, and is being cleaned. Many critics argue that the museum's pledge to help with graffiti clean-up annihilates actual "art in the streets." A culture war between purist taggers and the aritsts supporting Jeffrey Deitch's museum show has led to an anti-Deitch, anti-authority campaign of pasters around L.A. depicting the Director of the museum in silly, embarrassing contexts.   (via Art News)

The LAPD is cracking down hard, hoping to not just fine but arrest any artist found attempting or associated with illegal work. According to a report in the L.A. Times, Space Invader was their first victim, detained in Los Angeles last Friday. The show has led to an all-out attack: the Los Angeles city attorney’s office has filed a lawsuit against Cristian "Smear" Gheorghiu and nine other artists associated with the MTA tagging crew, charging them with violating California’s unfair competition laws because they’re selling art works on the strength of their outlaw names and reputations. “They’ve obtained an unfair advantage because they gained fame and notoriety through criminal acts,” said Anne Tremblay, assistant city attorney. “This is unlawful competition."  (via Huffington Post)

Voina x eBay x Banksy's Identity

by Rachel Schwerin
The two leading members of the Russian performance art collective Voina have been imprisoned in St. Petersburg without a charges or a trial for four months now. For those who aren't familiar, Voina has been responsible for numerous confrontational and political actions including the painting of a giant penis on a drawbridge that faced the building that housed former KGB offices.  Banksy, a fan of the collective's antics, announced a while back that he was going to donate the proceeds from his latest print release to fund their bail. Voina's lawyer offered the court 2 million rubles ($66,000) bail for each, but the judge denied the request. He cited a "lack of information about the person providing the money" for the bail as his justification to keep the Voina members locked up.  No doubt Voina’s imprisoned idealogist Oleg Vorotnikov doesn't appreciate the irony that Banksy's anonymity had just been available for purchase through an auction on eBay.


The highly scrutinized auction on eBay was posted by someone who claimed to have used tax records in some capacity to secure proof of the mysterious artist's identity.  Evidently the auction seller felt that this was marketable information, and that people looking for bargain electronics and obscure collectables would be equally interested in purchasing the documentation.  The auction was pulled before it was completed, but not before bidding reached nearly a million dollars for the promised info.  Speculation was that Banksy himself may have been behind either the auction listing or it's removal.  Either way, Banky’s identity can now be valued somewhere between $1 million and freedom.


Learn more about Voina (which translates from Russian as 'war') and check out the Free Voina page for the latest developments in their case.

MARKS & STENCILS Private View

For those who were unable to attend, Butterfly has posted a wonderful video of the opening of the Pictures On Walls pop up show 'Marks & Stencils' in London.  For those who were there, try to spot yourself in the queue...

new print from Banksy

It's official: a new Banksy print is going to drop in December.  A test print (or unique variant) of the image is hanging on the wall at the Pictures On Walls pop up show 'Marks and Stencils' in London, and the print appears in the new POW Winter Catalog and on their website.  There is no confirmation yet as to whether the release will be handled by a lottery (like the release for 'donuts') or some combination of in-store and online mayhem (like 'No Ball Games').  Time to practice masking your disappointment as your chances of actually nabbing this print are nearly non existant.

Keep an eye on the POW website for details of all the new print releases that are happening in conjunction with 'Marks and Stencils'.

is this the face of Banksy...again?

Keiran Argo is the Animation Programme manager for the nearly unknown British cinematic celebration called 'The Encounters International Film Festival'. Normally we wouldn't pay any mind to the Bristol based fest, but this year Ms. Argo promised the addition of something compelling to the program: footage of Banksy painting a street piece.

According to Argo:
What Banksy didn't bargain for when recently stencilling the back wall of Aardman's new building was the discrete CCTV system they had installed allowing us, for the first time, to put a face to the name.  All will be revealed in the programme...


Well, as it turns out all that was revealed was that Argo is full of shit.  Evidently she claims she got confused and the piece of footage in question is actually animated.  Its easy to understand how one can confuse reality with an animated short film.  In college we once made the same mistake with an episode of Ren and Stimpy.

Thanks to ukstreetart for keeping on top of this.

the making of 'Exit Through The Gift Shop'

Movie City News has recently posted this in depth interview with two of the creative forces responsible for Banksy's movie 'Exit Through The Gift Shop'.  Hear the movie's producer Jaimie D'Cruz and it's editor Chris King muse on what it was like to work with Banksy creating "the world's first street art disaster movie".

You can also read Jaimie D'Cruz's production diary about the two year long project here.
And check out the movie's official site banksyfilm.com for late breaking updates.
The DVD version drops in the USA on December 14.

new work from Banksy

Banksy has updated the 'outdoors' section of his website with a selection of new street work including this sublime nod to Keith Haring.  This isn't the first time that Mr B. has painted a picture of someone walking a famous contemporary art dog.  Back in May he hit L.A. and Toronto with mirror images of a security guard brandishing a Koons balloon dog.  

And it seems that Mr B's interest in videos is a continuing theme.  He has added a 'seen on t.v.' section to the website that features two pieces of British sketch comedy and the jaw dropping opening sequence he story boarded and directed for The Simpsons.  Since he posted the update, Fox has made youtube remove the Simpsons video, but you can see the complete sequence here:

Check out the rest of the new street pieces and videos on Banksy's website banksy.co.uk.

performance art from Banksy?

Banksy has been at it again.  He has updated his website and posted pictures of some recent outdoor stencil pieces near the British seaside, and his guerilla installation at Brighton Pier of the reconditioned dolphin ride he originally showed at The Village Pet Shop and Charcoal Grill in New York, which has now been updated to include a ruptured BP oil drum and a wave of crude oil.

Then there was posted a video, "Royal Visit Glastonbury 2010", in which Banksy presents us with a hilarious encounter between a costumed hippy hemp enthusiast and the heir to the British throne. We were dumbfounded that the interaction was permitted to take place, as here in the US you wouldn't even get that sign up before security would be all over you. And throwing a sample bag of weed at "Charlie, Charlie" would be out of the question.  The episode displays the cunning of Borat, the brazen recklessness of Jackass and the irreverence towards celebrity of Punk'd.

And it raises numerous questions. Who is the hippy? Is it the same person who posed for the portrait in Times Square wearing a black ski mask back on May 19, 2010?  Is Banksy creating another "superstar" (in the Warholian sense) the way he created Mr Brainwash?  Are these "pranksy" pieces part of the next big Banksy project or just a diversion? Is it Banksy himself doing these actions? Is it a friend of Banksy's? Is it Robin Gunningham?

For those who don't follow the British tabloids, The Daily Mail ran an article in July 2008 claiming that it had tracked down the identity of Banksy, and that he is Robin Gunnigham (pictured above right). Comparing these two pictures, we cannot rule out that it s the same person in both.  Is this Banksy? And if so, what's he up to?

Check Banksy's website banksy.co.uk for future updates.

EINE interview

Don't Panic has posted an engrossing interview with Ben Eine, the London graffiti artist who's painting Twenty First Century City was just given to President Obama by the British Prime Minister last month.  Hear this career vandal muse on topics such as: avoiding arrest, cutting stencils, and of course Banksy.

gun god go

We've had a number of people send us tips about these cheerleader stencils that have been popping up around Chicago.  For the record, no, they are not by Banksy.  The piece, Gun God Go, is the brainchild of internationally noted Chicago artist Ray Noland aka CRO.

We can't get enough of these ladies in black, as they conjure up memories of the cheerleaders we still lust after from that 20 year old Nirvana video.  Let there be no doubt that these faceless embodiments of teen spirit are the antithesis of those Nirvana ladies.  They eschew the anarchy signs and tattoos and raw sexuality of yesterday's counterculture for the highly charged symbols of our current right wing jingoism.
Smells like culture wars.

And in other CRO news, Run Blago Run has been making appearances around town again sporting some air yeezys.  Check out recent sightings on our flickr.

a weird day for Ben Eine

Ben Eine posted the following on his website on July 20, 2010:
"So it's been a weird day today, so weird that I've decided to visit my website.  David Cameron has given one of my paintings to President Obama in an Art Swap.  I've up loaded an image of the painting in the gallery section. thanks"

The painting to which he is referring, Twenty First Century City, was indeed included among the official gifts brought by the British PM to President Obama.  According to the BBC, Eine's work was chosen because the Prime Minister's wife, Samantha, considers him one of her "favorite artists".  In return Mr. Cameron received Ed Ruscha's lithograph Column With Speed Lines from The American President.

For those who may be wondering, Ben Eine is best known as a graffiti artist.  Examples of his street art typography can be found around London.  In addition Eine was the in house printer for Pictures On Walls until 2008, and was responsible for producing many of Banksy's most iconic prints.  The connection between Eine and Banksy extends outside the print house, and there is speculation that Eine was involved in some of Banksy's best known street work as well.

Explore Ben Eine's website einesigns.co.uk to view his work.
View Eine and Banksy prints on Pictures On Walls.
Read the BBC's complete coverage of all the Cameron / Obama gift swapping action here.

Banksy: hood rat?

It's no secret that we believe Chicago has yet to yield all it's Banksy work.  Surely there exists more than the three known works (the untouchables pram, the downtown rat, and you concrete me).  Our recent hunt has turned up a fake monkey, but we've seen nothing plausible as work from Mr B until now. Could this hood rat be one of the undiscovered Banksys in Chicago?

The hood rat is down on the south side near US Cellular Field.  It's large for a rat, standing nearly 25 inches high. It was first discovered by Chicago artist Hebru Brantley who posted a pic on his blog Whup Yo Kids.  We are not 100% convinced of the authenticity of this piece, but if this is a fake at least its a damn clever one.  Banksy or not, we like the hood rat.

View more pics of the hood rat on our flickr along with pictures of the other Banksy works in Chicago.

Check out Hebru Brantley's blog Whup Yo Kids and view his artwork on his website.

Fake Banksy

We knew it was bound to happen in Chicago sooner or later...

See more street art on our Flickr.

is this the face of Banksy?

Recently, the elusive Mr B. once again updated the "outdoors" section of his website. The last time he did this, we here in Chicago discovered that we had Banksy art in the Windy City. No such luck this time, though pictures were added further documenting the recent spate of Banksy street art that popped up across North America in conjunction with his movie "Exit Through The Gift Shop".

Then there is the picture above. It is posted in the "outdoors" section as well. The photograph next to it on the site shows a masked man sitting for a street portrait in Times Square in front of the Viacom headquarters. It is undoubtedly the same masked person in both the sketch and the photograph. We are led to assume that the sketch is the result of the street sitting. Are we to believe that this is Banksy in the drawing, hiding in plain sight?

Is this tongue in cheek performance art or political statement? Is it a commentary on anonymity or fame or terrorism or simply an homage to Chris Burden's 1971 performance "You'll never see my face in Kansas City"? And if it's not Banksy in the pictures, who is it and what is his connection to the artist? So many questions, and as usual no answers from Banksy.

View the pics for yourself on Banksy's website: banksy.co.uk.
Read about Chris Burden's astounding performance art of the 1970's including "You will never see my face in Kansas City".

Vandalized Banksy Graffiti Restored by Vigilante Vandals

The restored Banksy piece / photo by Billy Craven

On Saturday evening while talking with friends about the recently discovered Banksy pieces in Chicago, we came to the consensus that the most vulnerable of the works was "you concrete me". With it's quiet Pilsen location and it's cartoon word bubble being an obvious target, the piece seemed ripe for something quick and cheeky. Sunday morning we received a tip from our friend Billy Craven over at Blah+Blah+Blog that a local crew had indeed attacked the piece overnight. The result (seen below) was nonsensical, devoid of style, and overall pretty lame.

Defaced Banksy / photo by Billy Craven

Now we aren't the type who think every outdoor Banksy piece should be sealed behind plexiglass for protection, but the result of this particular attack left us feeling a little annoyed. Evidently we weren't alone in this sentiment. Yesterday Blah+Blah+Blog reported that a group of local street artists had taken matters into their own hands and restored the Banksy piece under cover of darkness. Cheers for the vigilante vandals!

Photos of damaged and restored Banksy courtesy of Blah+Blah+Blog.

Second Banksy in Chicago Confirmed

We just knew that there had to be more than one Banksy piece here in Chicago. We were beginning to feel a little slighted when we saw that Detroit, Toronto and Boston had all received multiple hits from Mr. B after his stop in the Windy City. For some reason we kept looking for "you concrete me" in particular, around the West Loop. As it turns out we were looking in the completely wrong area.

Local photographer Molly Kolecki, however, was looking in the correct area down in Pilsen and she stumbled upon the piece and posted a photo on her Flickr on May 13th. The Banksy piece is on 16th Street between Carpenter and Racine. The eyes are spray paint, the white bubble is not stenciled, and the handwriting is in oilstick. Now where's the next hidden gem?

Check out our Flickr for detailed photos of this piece and an additional unconfirmed rat that we believe may be authentic as well.

You can view this piece in the "outdoor" section of Banksy's site www.banksy.co.uk.