'Art for sixth formers': Is the public falling out of love with Banksy?
For some, he is one of the 21st century's most significant artists. For others, he is a nuisance. After several of his latest animal-themed street designs were removed, critics are questioning if Banksy's fame now eclipses the political value of his work.
Dr Paul Gough, vice chancellor of Arts University Bournemouth and Banksy expert, says some of the reception to the artist's zoo series was a bit lukewarm.
"Some of the feedback was that the stencils were okay, but they weren't top-notch compared to what I've seen before," he says.
Imagine being known as a Banksy expert...
Although - after giving it some thought, it's clearly far better than being a climate change expert who is regularly featured on the BBC.
9 comments:
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress (Robert A. Heinlein, 1966) contained a taxonomy of humour - not funny, funny once, always funny. You could apply this to meaning too - not meaningful, meaningful once, always meaningful.
Now I have a fondness for Larson and Dilbert cartoons (not currently in production). The cartoons vary in funniness and meaningfulness and I expect the same applies to Banksy's 'work' on the side of a house. If I were to be critical I'd say that Banksy's latest work is tired and barely reaches the funny once/meaningful once standard. Perhaps his 'work' should be retired too while he still has a following?
Wish I had drawing talent.
Banksy is midwittery personified. The idea of him is more interesting than what he actually does. Sixth form is about the right level, which is why the BBC are obsessed with him. Sixth form is a good way to understand the BBC mentality. They are graduates who tone down their sophistication to get the general public interested, which means they copy the slightly dimmer teenagers they knew before they went off to Varsity and become truly sophisticated cosmopolitans.
"Gosh! Nobody knows who he is! He just turns up in the night, and does these amazing pictures that really make you think about the world and how we live! Amazing!"
DJ - that's a good point, you can apply it to meaning where there is social or cultural significance which can fade. I hope Larson and Dilbert cartoons fade much more slowly than Banksy's work, which seems banal to me.
James - so do I, better than embarrassing anyway.
Sam - "Banksy is midwittery personified"
I agree. I've not followed his output in much detail, but it never seems to have risen beyond that.
SV. Agree. The BBC consists of a "clever" elite who believe that their consumers are thick with the few second attention span. Nobody fails by underestimating the inteligence, taste, curiosity of the public. Therefore they feed us the pap they think appropriate for us.
So no more programmes which stretch us, and all hurty stuff is blocked, except the heartstrings tugging minor stuff with accompanying slow two note piano.
So we go to YouTube and it's ilk for hard truths.
Its that circle again. You become an expert in something totally useless, so your only career opportunity is to teach it to others
Doonhamer - it's ironic really, because BBC elites aren't even clever in what they do because respect and their audience have both been trickling away for years.
Bucko - which could become a problem for them, because the internet may soon allow the top few percent of experts to do all the teaching.
"not funny, funny once, always funny." It once occurred to me that the first chap to hurl a banana at a black footballer was being funny; it was bad manners but funny. Everyone who has done it since, though, isn't being funny. He's just being a creep and a bully.
dearieme - it's hard to imagine what people think they are doing when they throw them. They aren't good enough to be on the pitch, so what's the message?
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