BANKSY: Graffiti & The Academy Awards

The above image is not one I found in Richmond, it is a copy of one the designs by the elusive Banksy, an internationally known graffiti artist.  Just google his name and check the images link. Though this is not one of his stencils, a touch of his influence can be seen in a "tryptich" of images I featured in an earlier blog post.

What is most interesting about Banksy's work is that it is low-tech & low-cost yet has an international reputation. Though this is partly due to the ease of spreading images via the Web, part of his popularity is the resonance his images have with those who see them. 

Clearly these are thoughtful, politically significant designs. And the one below puts the "graffiti wars" in a larger anthropological context...imagine graffiti removal at Lascaux!

Most recently, Banksy has expanded the media of his visual expressions with a 5:15 minute documentary video Exit Through the Gift Shop (below) that has been nominated for the Academy Awards according to the NPR story "Shenanigans Are What He Does: Is Banksy Gunning For An Oscar?"

But what will happen if graffiti goes mainstream?

Wall of Shame, Seat of Fame

From time to time, I may post a "wall of shame" to mock the stupid, bigoted, hateful or otherwise mean-spirited graffiti we all see in too many places. 
Such sentiments are not only ignorant and ugly, they give graffiti a bad name. 
And besides, isn't there enough pointless rancor in the world?

 

Hemp Korn sucks dick? 

Probably not, but if so, so what?
(what is "hemp korn" anyway? can I get it at the movies?) 

And poor grammar doesn't make them look any better....it looks bad but it sounds much worse....can't you just hear the "duh" in the phrase "is a ugly bitch?"

In stark contrast to the nasty git-wit graffiti above, behold 

The Seat of Fame constructed by unknown evolved beings...

Just when I thought folks didn't hang out in the woods anymore, I came across a delightful little campfire spot built by unknown friends and freely offered to anyone who encounters it with the simple and reasonable request:

"DON'T FUCK THIS UP"  

"PACK OUT YOUR TRASH"

 

Maybe I'm reading too much into this spot, but when I found it, the economic concept of "the gift economy" came to mind. While this concept seems new since it is often applied to the galaxy of useful freeware programs designed and distributed on the Web, the gift economy is actually an ancient and powerful practice. In spite of the dogma of corporate propaganda, not everyone is motivated by greed - some people share freely. 

This freely offered hospitable circle invites a casual conversation around the fire, sharing a refreshing bowl of friendship and the joy of laughter and storytelling - powerful and ancient human traditions that clearly continue today. What some might see as a vandal's nest may actually be the work of cultural creatives who would rather circle 'round the fire than cruise around the mall.