When Banksy first started getting noticed, he was kinda fun. His work was witty and playful enough to warrant the attention. However, he then started to enjoy the smell of his own bullshit and slowly turned into an art-world Bono.
From being someone who was refreshingly cheeky, he became patronising and holier than thou – just look at his intro for The Simpsons for evidence of that.
A good number of people stopped enjoying his work, yet still wondered who he might be. And he’s going to be unmasked next week by a fellow artist in an oil painting, which really, is a pretty funny way of telling everyone who he is. Fight art with more art. Read More >>>
Banksy is, let’s be honest here, vaguely amusing but ultimately, irritating as piles. He’s the art-world’s Bono, constantly asking us to look at ourselves like we’re brain-dead scum. Of course, fans of his will claim a moral victory because he’s managed to put into his work what they couldn’t say in words. Or, more realistically, they like to be seen to care about… y’know… stuff.
And with his fame, Banksy has managed to make a decent living out of being unknown. He’s done pieces in war-torn areas, New Orleans and various famous landmarks, all the while, telling us how we’re hopeless consumers, willing to lap-up anything we’re told… then selling a shed-load of books.
And now, he’s managed to land the gig of creating the title sequence of The Simpsons. And it’s oh-so bloody controversial.