Banksy and his art is so overhyped, amirite?

Well... It's gone now. And that's why it matters.

by Salt_Opening_4763 2 days ago

Best take.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

I didn't even see it and now it's gone. Guess it didn't matter at all

by Background_Trade_450 2 days ago

I suppose someone not in the UK wouldn't care, but it was a piece highlighting the fact our government is becoming more authoritarian and has some terrible anti protest laws at the moment. Anyone in the UK should care about that message.

by Lilianoberbrunn 2 days ago

Only things you have seen matter?

by jenkinsrosemari 2 days ago

Interesting timing to talk about Banksy considering UK police are onto him criticizing the government…

by Anonymous 2 days ago

As we slide into facism the art will become more powerful over time.

by Perrylarkin 2 days ago

Nah, unlike Warhol, Banksy has technical skills.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

a bit shortsighted, I'd say

by Anonymous 2 days ago

World renowned influential artists and armchair critics thinking actually this stuff isn't very good at all, name a more famous duo

by Lost-Challenge-271 2 days ago

Nah it's pretty good. Being technically able to do something and actually thinking of it and doing it are wholly different things

by jenkinsrosemari 2 days ago

Yeah and I can do a cover of the Beetles song, or even that kind of music, if I was doing music prior to 1960, could I have done it originally?

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Are you being dumb on purpose

by vivianlueilwitz 2 days ago

Just like Taylor Swift. On a technical level she's mid at best, but she hit a nerve and got famous. You don't have to be some god like mastermind, you just need to have a sense for what people like right now

by Otherwise-Wasabi5747 2 days ago

I'm not like a Taylor Swift person but but most accounts if she never became a huge star she would have had a giant career as a song writer, she definitely has talent.

by Electronic_Try_9464 2 days ago

Cool and meaningful art pieces + anonymous mystery guy, what is not to like

by Anonymous 2 days ago

My harmless little conspiracy theory is that banksy isn't one guy, but a collective of people that are more or less trolling the rest of the world lol. I sorta agree with OP, but I'm also pretty intrigued by banksy and the idea of someone (or someones) being world famous, yet totally unrecognizable.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

The banksy as a collective is a pretty well established thing since even before "exit through the gift shop"

by PairEmbarrassed 2 days ago

But that's the "harmless conspiracy" thing.. It's all speculation on if it's one person or a collective, and that's what makes it fun to think about.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

OP said banksy is over hyped, I just replied saying everything is over hyped. Art isn't high class, anyone can do art. And a lot can do it well, why do a few select people get to be "the best"?

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Tax evasion is what they described, good luck trying to launder money by taping a banana to the wall.

by seanquitzon 2 days ago

It's not tax evasion either, that's illegal, it's tax avoidance.

by Anonymous 2 days ago

Art and skill are not mutually exclusive. If someone can move someone to tears with one brush stroke, or one piano note - that is all that matters

by ashtynbruen 1 day ago

Art is political. Art can influence people . Art Is supposed to evoke feelings, not perfection. I think this is art done right.

by rutherfordcielo 1 day ago

I feel like if more graffiti actually said something (literally anything besides random swears or just uninspired tags) or was more artistic this would be a more popular opinion. As it is, good graffiti is so few and far between that I think people just get excited. That this one person has done it so often and for so long without being identified publicly i think just makes it stand out. Like if every graffiti you saw was either a statement or artistic in some way instead of 95% just being scribbles and dicks, Banksy's wouldn't stand out as much.

by Slight-Opposite-5953 1 day ago

Who?

by caesar88 1 day ago

It definitely hasn't aged well. Especially so, when you factor in how many Graff artists have been prosecuted over the years. How many times have you heard people say "I hate graffiti but Banksy is cool" That's who he makes art for

by rudolphmoore 1 day ago

So this is my opinion, banksy was/is a rebel type artist and some people view him only as an artist period. That side I do not like about his fanbase now I feel he is underhyped in the term of his rebel art work

by Anonymous 1 day ago

This isn't an unpopular opinion though.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I think the mystery identify is a big part of it but it's pretty obvious that Thierry Guetta is Banksy, right?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Banksy might not be the most technically skilled artist, but the fact that his work sparks global conversation and sells for millions shows how much people connect with the mix of art and message.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I think it's more that he was so hyped that he's become commercial essentially. The painting he did that shredded itself at auction after being sold, brilliant idea. But in action, it just made the painting worth considerably more, giving the rich person who bought it a huge bump in net worth essentially. Kind of defeats the purpose.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

the message may be shallow but the message is broad. you will notice that people on social media from all different sides of politics are sharing the piece with a different interpretation. you may be right that every interpretation may be shallow but the type's of interpretation are broad. every group sees themselves as the victim. here in the U.S., Palestine protests, trump supporters and jews all see the same message but a different victim. it's nice to see a controversial piece of art that actually isn't controversial. it's a noncontroversial controversial art.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Now this is unpopular!

by Devonschumm 1 day ago

a lot of the hype isn't about technical skill it's the mystery around Banksy, the timing, and the way his work taps into mainstream culture. He's more of a cultural icon than a "master artist," which is why people share it everywhere

by Calm-Web 1 day ago

It was pretty cool 20 years ago.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

actually he has a whole team of people helping him execute the artworks

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Yes. Is more about marketing and personal branding than art itself. "Cool stuff".

by Anonymous 1 day ago

What? lol

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Hmmm are you American?

by Many-Historian8586 1 day ago

Nope, from Czechia, I generally agree with the message in his art, but it's not something that average 15 year old doesn't figure out on his own

by Fluid-Fuel6780 1 day ago

If that were true, this world would be a much better place

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I mean it's tags, street art, it's precisely for teens and comes from teens. It's not that's this kind of art could be bad/meh/good/genius. And Banksy is good imo

by magnus93 1 day ago

You're talking about it aren't you?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I think graffiti "artists" are just trashy vandals who think they are better than they really are

by Meda08 1 day ago

This multiple times over. 👏🏻 Banksy is a vandal and nothing more.

by Anonymous 1 day ago

I don't think this has been unpopular for a while…

by alexandro96 1 day ago

I think his latest work is one of his best honestly, what's not to like about an apolitical rebellious piece standing up for free speech across the political spectrum.

by enrico95 1 day ago

apolitical lmfao was its erasure apolitical too?

by Anonymous 1 day ago

It's erasure was due to the listed building status. If we want to be cynical I don't consider authoritarian censorship to be supported by the left or right, the whole point of the piece was that it was a blank banner, it supports our right to protest no matter what we believe in. That is apolitical.

by enrico95 1 day ago

I wish it was non-controversial. Clearly there are people in positions of political power who disagree, though

by Anonymous 1 day ago

Lots of art is overrated in general. My least favorite thing about the arts is it's not uncommon to suck yourself off for creations sake regardless of whether or not what you made is "good" or impressive.

by Anonymous 1 day ago