Always Bet On Banksy

I'd thought I'd outwit the queues and go and check ot the Banksy exhibition at Bristol's City Museum and Art Gallery. Alas, the masses had other things in mind and, despite arriving 45 minutes before opening time, the crowds were already massing. Still it was well worth the wait.

For the unfamiliar, Banksy is the pseudonym for a secretive Bristol street artist. His work, mainly stencil grafitti, has been displayed (mostly illegally) in many counties and cities around the globe and his work has finally been acknowledged by the art community as serious and substantial stuff.

The first thing you'll notice upon entering is how Banksy has used the museum setting to his advantage. Rather than displaying walls of grafitti or phtos of his existing street art, he's complimented that stuff with huge sculptures, many of which are enhanced with animatronics. They also blend into the surroundings. It took me a couple of minutes to realise the greek pocelain sculpture I was standing next to had been modified with sunglasses and shopping bags.

There seems to be a three stage reaction when looking at his work:-
1/ Wow. What a great painting / drawing. I love graphic, black and white artwork anyway, so his realistic stencil style always impresses.
2/ Ha ha ha. Thats jolly amusing.
3/ A feeling of sadness often follows as, when the meaning of the piece sinks in, you realise he's talking about society. Our society. MY society. And it sucks we treat the world and those on it with such disrespect.

Banksy, as with all art, wants you to observe the familiar and consider it from a different perspectice. Take the above photo. "I hate Mondays" has been uttered by most of us at some point as we drag ourselves off to work after a relaxing weekend. Have we considered Mondays from a small African child's perspective as he makes the 5 mile walk from the local water hole for the fifth time that day? Nope, me neither.

Most of the exhibition is staged on the ground floor, but it's fun tracking down Banksy pieces secreted amongst the Museum's regular exhibits, in a sort of cultural treasure hunt.

Very worth while and enjoyable. Put your queueing shoes on and get in line.