With the 2012 London Olympics set to begin this Friday, Banksy gets in on the pomp and circumstance with two new works that tackle the athletic competition. Adding his signature political wit, the javelin and pole vault are given a twist – presenting each athlete as both a long-range arms dealer as well as an eager prison escapee. With the games mere days away, expect a lot more “cheekiness” from the Bristol-native.
Complex Magazine went ahead and put together an extensive list of the 100 most influential artists of the “Complex” decade. The list included all the names you would come to expect like Damien Hirst, KAWS, Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Futura, David Choe, Steve “ESPO” Powers, as well as some other unique artists such as 13thWitness and even Angry Birds creator, Rovio. If you have some time to kill, be sure to check the full list over at Complex.
Posted in Art, Illustrations, Photography, Street Art
Tagged Artists, Banksy, Complex, Damien Hirst, David Choe, Futura, Influential, Kaws, Magazine, Shepard Fairey, Steve “ESPO” Powers
“After the recent Tesco riots in Bristol Banksy has produced this fine commemorative souvenir poster. It’s available exclusively from Bristol’s Anarchist Bookfair this coming Saturday. All proceeds go to the Peoples Republic of Stokes Croft and associates.” – Pictures on Walls.
In the latest episode of The Simpsons, street artist Banksy has made yet another cameo (well, not the elusive man himself, of course, but you know what we mean). The episode follows Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie as the family takes a trip out to Hollywood for the Oscars. This plug couldn’t possibly be more fitting as Bansky himself has been nominated for an award in the “Best Documentary” category for his film Exit Through the Gift Shop. The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony will air live from Hollywood on Sunday.
Banksy surfaced some work in Hollywood involving some signature social commentary. Charlie Brown holding a gas can as well as a gun-totting child in a field of flowers are potentially the start of several more pieces that will hopefully surface over the next few days.
The first time Robbo met Banksy, the latter “decided to get cocky and say I’ve never heard of you, so I gave him a swift backhand” says Robbo. UK graffiti legend Robbo opens up about the long-running feud with British street artist Banksy in a length interview with Sabotage Times. And while people everywhere weigh the differences between street art and graffiti, Robbo muses that “Banksy’s not radical he’s just a toy with a PR team. What he promotes is tacky, mass-produced shit that provokes a reaction to make himself money.” Read the full interview here.
Being part of the exhibition Marks & Stencils in London at the moment, Banksy will be releasing the work in the form of a print in the coming weeks, entitled “Choose Your Weapon”. The work first appeared on the streets in London a couple of months ago and will be released as a limited edition print from Pictures on Walls December 2010.
Mike Leavitt’s on-going Art Army project features his hand-crafted one-of-a-kind action figures of notable artists. Now he’s bringing his wit and caricature skills to a new limited-edition figure series produced by Jailbreak Collective. The first (of 3) figures, featuring a likeness of infamous street artist Banksy. The figure + included diorama recreates the elusive one’s Gitmo Prisoner prank done at the Big Thunder Mountain rider at Disneyland. Very cool.
British graffiti artist Banksy has left his mark on Springfield by creating a controversial title sequence for The Simpsons.It starts with clouds parting as usual, but the cartoon show’s famous crow flies across the screen carrying one of the Bristol-based artist’s trademark mice. As the camera zooms in on Springfield Elementary School, Banksy’s name is seen scrawled across a giant billboard advertising Krusty the Clown’s funeral service.
Bart Simpson is seen doing his punishment lines on the school blackboard as usual – but the whole classroom is covered with the phrase: ‘I must not write all over the walls.’ As the camera pans back, Banksy’s name is seen again on a school wall.The sequence continues as usual until the family are settled on the sofa, when it suddenly switches to a grim vision of Asian sweatshops. Rows of workers are seen in a warehouse producing animations for the show and making merchandise. Kittens are shown being thrown into a wood chipper to produce stuffing for Bart Simpson dolls. A panda is used to haul wagon-loads of the dolls, while a decapitated dolphin head is used to seal boxes. And a chained unicorn comes in handy for punching holes in the centre of DVDs
The extended sequence was apparently inspired by reports the show outsources the bulk of their animation to a company in South Korea, according to the BBC.The street artist claimed his storyboard led to delays, disputes over broadcast standards and a threatened walk out by the animation department.’This is what you get when you outsource,’ joked The Simpsons executive producer Al Jean. The sequence ends with a horrifying version of the logo of the show’s parent company, 20th Century Fox.It’s not the first time the show’s creators have poked fun at Fox – with regular jokes about the quality of programming on the company’s US TV network. The episode, called MoneyBart, was broadcast in America last night. It will be shown in the UK on 21 October.
Watch the intro in full here
Sorce: Daily Mail
Banksy is back home in the UK after his stints across the United States to promote his movie. Now that he’s home, he is back throwing up new stencil work across the walls. Check out these three new pieces!
