[CPProt.net] Elusive 'art terrorist' Banksy makes an indelible mark on the British Museum

[MSN CPPnet]

Elusive 'art terrorist' Banksy makes an indelible mark on the British Museum
Streetwise scourge of the establishment finds a home in a permanent
collection and is tipped for a Turner Prize. By Anthony Barnes
29 May 2005


He is a shadowy "art terrorist" whose daring graffiti raids have led to a
string of arrest warrants. Banksy has become an icon of subversive cool for
his art world-baiting antics and the provocative paintings he has sprayed on
the walls and pavements of London.

But the once underground figure has been embraced into the bosom of the
establishment. What began as a comic stunt has led to his work being
absorbed into the collection held by the British Museum, alongside such
historic artefacts as the Elgin Marbles, the Rosetta Stone and works by
20th-century artists such as Henry Moore.

Now there are suggestions he could be given the ultimate accolade for his
work, by inclusion this week on the Turner Prize shortlist. He has been
nominated by the public to be considered by the notorious contemporary art
prize's judging panel, led by Tate director Sir Nicholas Serota.

Banksy, who keeps his identity secret and uses disguises, built his
reputation by spraying largely monochrome images on the streets, among them
cops with smiley faces, rioters holding bunches of flowers and rats holding
aerosols, with thought-provoking slogans. He reached a wider public when he
was commissioned to create the cover for the chart-topping Blur album Think
Tank. His image showed a couple wearing diving helmets.

But he achieved greater notoriety with his secret forays into some of the
world's most famous galleries, surreptitiously putting up his own work
between the masterpieces on display.

His most recent visit was to the British Museum a fortnight ago. In a room
of early medieval relics he left a rock painting called Early Man, which
depicted a caveman pushing a shopping trolley. Banksy operates a policy of
"finders keepers" for the works he leaves behind, and the museum has decided
to adopt the piece, now on show at the Outside Institute in central London.
A spokeswoman for the British Museum confirmed: "The object will be coming
back to the museum and will become part of the permanent collection."

Banksy is understood to be privately pleased about his nomination but has
declined to comment, having long kept the mainstream at arm's length. He
turnd down an offer to do the décor for Jamie Oliver's restaurant Fifteen
and resisted "mad money" offered for work on campaigns for thesports giant
Nike. Some of his works ridicule big US businesses such as McDonald's and
Disney.

He has said that the "biggest buzz" he gets from his art is "not getting
picked up" by the police for painting on walls. "You could stick all my shit
in Tate Modern and have an opening with Tony Blair and Kate Moss on
rollerblades handing out vol-au-vents and it wouldn't be as exciting as when
you go out and you paint something big where you shouldn't do," he has said.

If shortlisted for the Turner, Banksy would be invited to exhibit at Tate
Britain - a far cry from his roots, but it would not be his debut there. He
once sneaked a painting in - a landscape with police tape across it. It was
only rumbledwhen its glue proved too weak and it crashed to the floor.

Where you can see Banksy for free

Banksy's Bridge, Shoreditch, east London. This railway bridge decorated with
riot cops is regularly updated by the artist with new slogans. He paints it
directly outside a police station under cover of darkness.

'Boring', National Theatre, South Bank. Banksy filled an empty fire
extinguisher with red emulsion paint, then sprayed it on to a blank wall at
the side of the theatre. "The perfect accompaniment to a night out drinking
heavily with friends," he said of this work.

'Kissing Coppers', on a wall in Broadwick Street, Soho. Banksy, originally
from Bristol, became interested in graffiti at the age of 14 and adopted his
stencil style because his freehand attempts at spray-painting were poor.
Another version of this was done in Brighton. 

http://news.independent.co.uk/