In my last post I talked about the film Exit Through The Gift Shop featuring Banksy. The film is up for an Oscar and the buzz is whether Banksy will attend, reveal himself, sit in the audience hidden, prank the Academy, etc, etc.

It seems he and the story elicits a diverse amount of responses from people. Here are some I found this morning:

—Ten years ago bansky’s art was cool, now the pop world gobbled him up.. a million sheep started to say how great he is. Now this @#$%? give me a break

—-I am so disappointed that we, the public and the Acadamy folks, cater to types like this. Just tell the guy to not to show and watch him beg his way back.There used to a wonderful action to those “people” that are sub culture…..ignore them…completely silent. Just kills them.

—I much rather see Banksy’s street art when I am out in public rather than all of the advertisements and billboards plastering every available surface telling me to do this and buy that. At least his work adds to the aesthetic appeal rather than taking away from it. I don’t really care whether he has permission or not. The pointless advertisements covering buildings and buses and everything else are corporate sponsored vandalism at best.

—Actually the thing I remember Banksy for is the amazing “Simpsons” couch gag he story-boarded. A true classic, but very, very dark, as well!!

—There’s something to be truly said for an artist who constantly turns down the temptation to coup such a profit from merely revealing his identity. The interviews, the private/public commissions, the merchandising, the marketing, all of it is just a honey pot full and waiting for Banksy to show his face. But he doesn’t. He lets the art stand on its own feet and have its own identity that is completely separate from him. Banksy doesn’t feel like the art is an extension of him. I believe that Banksy feels the art is a separate entity altogether and he’s just the messenger. Could any of us have that willpower? I doubt it.

—This guy is not an artist, he is a criminal and should be punished for his crimes. Vandalism is a crime no matter what you think of it. And to those who think it’s petty, think again. How much does it cost to replace the billboard, how much does it cost to paint over the damage? I one city I know of, they have spent well over 150,000.00 to combat this stupid ugly damage.

—banksy sucks hard. for that matter, so do all “street-artists”. and if a movie about graffiti and hipsters beats restrepo, I’m going to punch a midget.

—-It’s unfortunate that so many that don’t have a clue about this mans art (and yes people, it is art) or even who he is are so negative. Try educating yourselves.

—Personally, I would love to see the red carpet overwhelmed with the traditional stars all wearing “I am BANKSY” shirts, sashes and the like. If his team is smart, they would be sending them out now. I can think of more than a few of the stars that would probably wear them. It plays on so many levels. It would be the perfect Oscar moment.

—God, the way some people are talking about this ‘criminal’ you’d think he was a murderer, or a rapist or something equally awful. Yes what he does is illegal. BUT it is still art. And it is often fabulous: how many of you could do that with a paint can, in the middle of the night, without getting caught?

—the POINT of it all is to rile people up. A lot of his work is very political — just look at the child with the machine gun full of crayons. That’s a very loaded image (if you’ll pardon the pun). And I tell you, illegal or not, if I’d have driven past that billboard with Mickey and Minnie Mouse on my way to work? I’d have paid attention. It would’ve made me smile. For one thing, I’d call that more than any LEGAL billboard could do, and also it’s GOOD for the company. I might actually have looked at what they were advertising beneath the graffiti. In my mind, if it makes people smile it really can’t be all that bad.

I like that last sentence. Maybe we all need to take a breath and just smile. I’m sure Banksy is right now.

A bientot