What I like best about this whole scenario is that Banksy is essentially redirecting the income from people who are likely to be anti-immigration (wealthy Banksy patrons paying lip service to real world problems) and using those funds to assist in pro-immigration efforts.
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The Onion answered that years ago.
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Is it a good idea to paint a fake life preserver on the side of a boat?
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Way to go stage an intervention in racist policies that let refugees drown. I would go even further, just sayin,
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i always think his art ideas are kinda dumb and too obvious. But i know his heart is in the right place and its pretty awesome that he’s spending the money of the rich people who buy his art on something like this.
According to MV Louise Michel the Italian navy took off just 49 of the most vulnerable and one body. Leaving the others.
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Really? What’s dumb and obvious about the piece I pasted above? I think it’s brilliant.
Or about this?
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I’ll bite: provide examples of art that you personally think are NOT “dumb and obvious.”
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Just my opinion. His art seems gimicky an punny to me. Like Oh hey it’s “dismalland”. The shredding thing was maybe my favorite thing he did but even that lost it’s bite a bit when you realize that it probably increased the art’s value rather than ruining it…
If you think that’s bad you should see some if the dull, predictable commentary written by his detractors.
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I generally agree with his point of view. His art is usually pointing out serious social issues I agree with. It just isn’t very subtle.
Obviously.
You still didn’t answer my question, though; even though you’ve replied to me twice now.
It’s easy to sit in judgement, that’s why so many people do it.
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there’s tooo much art that i like. But if you wanna talk about strong political art, for some reason the first thing that came to mind was the song “strange fruit”… it pretty obvious what she’s singing about but it’s subdued behind a metaphor. the real power comes from the beauty and sadness of the delivery. Kehinde Wiley’s paintings are great in that way too. Stuff that leaves a little bit to the viewer’s imagination to fill in the blanks. Doesn’t hit you on the head with a message. Political art is hard to pull off.
That’s still not an answer.
Actually, I just wanted a straight answer to a simple question, but never mind.
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Hello, Dali!
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But in the context of the time, that song was shockingly explicit and not in the least subtle. When you’re removed from an immediate political circumstance any artistic commentary begins to seem subtle. Nothing in Banksy’s repertoire has really receded far enough to be allusion rather than overt statement.
Even this one, based on a 32-year-old photograph:
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Another one that’s brilliant, if too horrific for some viewers I’ve known (which is probably part of its brilliance).
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