Art

[Liquid]

I'd like to see who else shares my passion.

Who do you think are the most influential artists of the modern era?

(Would we be allowed to post pics/links?)

[Liquid]

Edgar mueller is my all time favourite street artist. 3d works just amaze me.

[Toby]

I agree with that!

I've found a few Banksys around London, my favorite being Steve McQueen on his motorbike with the Queen's head

Is Banksy an artist or a vandal? I'm definitely thinking the former.

[Anonymous]

Banksy's a "vandal" in the sense that he alters the appearance of buildings and structures without permission from the owners - and those owner do have the right to have their buildings looking the way they want them - regardless of anyone else's opinion of "beauty" (as long as they comply with building regs etc).

Whether or not he's an "artist" - unfortunately, you'd have to define the word "art" before deciding that - and that's about as easy as defining "sexy".

I quite like some of what Banksy produces - it's frequently humourous and there's obvious technical skill, albeit limited to a single medium and lacking in range - but I do think that much of his "fame" is derived from publicity and viral marketing rather than from the extent of his talent.    There's a distinct feeing of "X-factor winner" about Banksy - where people "know" he's great because the papers, TV and radio keep telling them that he is.

It helps the marketing that he's portrayed as some sort of "Robin Hood with a spray can" - this mysterious figure who opposes authority and steal's blank walls from the rich to give "art" to the poor.   Unfortunately, for a miserable old beggar like me, that's les impressive because I know that paper is cheap and widely available - so I see his tactics as rather attention seeking and cowardly - he makes it impossible to ignore his work by forcing you to see it - which is rather like having a rock band set-up in the middle of the street and start playing at 3am then claiming to "have an audience".

I suspect that this is one of those "time will tell" scenarios.  My money's on Banksy being another "Frankie says..." T-shirt - defining a brief period in our time but ultimately ephemeral.

(If you want to get all intellectual on a Monday - consider that this grafitti artist's fame coincides with a major recession.   The "rebel without a canvas" character might not have been so appealing if people had money to spend.)

[perksie]

Good analysys, but nothing to do with the recession, Banksy has been well known if not famous for about twenty years now.

[Anonymous]

He was known in some circles but he only became known and popular with mainstream "audiences" about ten years ago  - the first Banksy exhibition wasn't until 2002 and that was when he became "sellable" and trendy and got huge coverage in the regular press.

Regardless, the UK was very much in recession when Banksy started back in 1990.  "Black Monday" was in October 1987 and stock markets around the world collapsed - in fact, it was officially a bigger fall than the one in 1929 that caused The Great Depression.  In the UK, the early 90's recession lasted longer than The Great Depression and lead to the Tories losing the 97 election.

[Anonymous]

Art, religion and Politics have a tendency to draw themselves together. Lets keep this as Art though.

[Liquid]

Yh no politics in my thread please:)(huge detest for it:()

I must admit when I say a fan of banksy I do mean the earlier work before it became a huge media frenzy.

I remember when I was in London for a meeting of the clubs in the company I spotted what I could only describe as graffiti but it was amazing such a numerous and relevant piece.

Before the media started throwing around all the theories I had never heard the name banksy. I believe his fame has negatively contributed to the "meaning" of his work. Before the frenzy it was all about a general message supported by the masses(generally humorous in nature) since his name became well known I feel its become too commercialised. Rather than a individual breaking the norms, depicting what others are afraid to speak off.

[Anonymous]

Sorry on the poli-wotsits.  I just mentioned it as an illustration of the depth of social change in the 90's - in relation to the way that popular taste in arts - graphical, music, cinema et al - reflect or are reflected in those changes.

In more afluent times - the mid 80's, for example - the most popular artists were the ones that produced bright, vibrant colours and had little "social commentary" - at least on the surface.  The "big sellers" then  - and remember that the Athena poster craze was still hot - were Van Goch - particularly his bright, sunny landscapes - and Dali with very much "summer colours" and somewhat trippy images.   Music was a mixture of pop with big, orchestral style arrangements and real popcorn stuff.   A few years earlier when we were going through the previous economic strife, we had punk and rock and the most popular art for many people were the French impressionists and our own Lowrey - lots of muted colurs of rain and city scapes.  (odd too that the "grafitti style" was popular during the puck era - the Sex Pistols and their Never Mind... cover is almost a Banksy)

It'll be interesting to see what happens when everything does pick up again and people are spending more and feeling more optimistic.  Which artists and styles will come into or go out of fashion - and will that change be noticable before the cold numbers say we are genuinely better off.   If so, it could be that some clever City types could chose when and where to invest based on nothing more than seeing what wallpaper people have on their laptops

[jonsie]

I think the future of art depends on the mind bending substances people are using at the time. That's what seems to have influenced art from the mid-sixties onwards:smileywink:

[Anonymous]

@ pengipete. 

Sorry to ask and please feel free to tell me to mind my own business but your replies are amazing, I am sure most would agree. 

In my head I have you down as a University Lecturer, obliviously the really cool young ones.