Friday, March 4, 2011

Photo-finish Friday: Banksy was here



On a walk through Westwood last weekend from Trader Joe's, I came upon a cluster of what seemed to be UCLA students in the entryway to an alley. They were in a state of mild excitement, their attention directed to this graffiti - which I first took as someone's attempt to mimic a Banksy, the British street artist.

"Is Banksy in town?" I asked the kids, and they filled me in. It was in fact a real Banksy and not a knock-off. For documentation, it had already been posted on his website.

Someone, getting in the spirit of it all, had added some graffiti of their own - "for your consideration," a reference to last weekend's Oscars. But a purist with the cold resolve of a MOCA curator was taking a solvent to the added verbiage, which accounts for the smearing on the right.

I didn't notice all the stickers on the door until I got home and studied the pic. The spot, it seems, is a hang-out for street artists, now basking in a moment of  international regard thanks to its famous visitor.

Photo-finish Friday is the bright idea of Leah Utas over at The Goat's Lunch Pail.

11 comments:

  1. see! ........now thats art! Not the picture, no, but the fact "he" was there and did that and left!

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  2. That's great. Have you seen Exit Through the Gift Shop by chance?

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  3. That is cool graffiti. And I don't normally say that.

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  4. Leah, thanks. I got your name up with the pic after you'd been by this morning.

    Cheyenne, it's fun to stand a few feet away and know he was working there a few hours before under cover of darkness.

    Chris, I saw EXIT and thoroughly enjoyed it.

    David, I'm a little color blind, so it had to be pointed out to me that the cartridges are really crayolas.

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  5. I've been hearing this guy's name everywhere lately. I like this piece pretty much.

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  6. Interesting. I don't know him.

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  7. Charles, search on him at google images, and you'll find many examples.

    Sage, six months ago, I didn't either.

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  8. Banksy's work is amazing!
    sy
    http://www.sysprints.blogspot.com/

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  9. I love the cowboy hat!! Actually my sister works with horses, she's always talking about riding out and watching rural TV. Do feel free to follow publicly, and thank you for your thoughtful comment :-)

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  10. Great photo of some great graffiti! There used to be a guy in Manchester who drew some amazing stuff on the pedestrian area on a main shopping street. They are talented people!

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