The symptom can be more intriguing than the cause. One of the most interesting aspects of the Banksy art phenomenon is the lengths to which almost every fine art world maven goes to announce their dislike of him. Even in out-of-the-way provincial Kunsthallen and so on, when the subject of street art or outdoor actions and so on, the speaker, whether curator or critic or art historian, absolutely MUST throw in the line “but I do not like Banksy.” Remember, these are the same wannabe hipsters who inevitably cite Sonic Youth as their favorite band, in (failed) attempts to prove their “with-it” consensus hipness and can justify Jeff Koons for hours. Why do they hate him so? Mostly because it is simply the artworld consensus and thus in our “unanimous” academic artworld, they must say that --- but I think there is much more. Are they afraid of him because he actually succeeds in doing what many Neo-Conceptualists claim they want to do (re: Koons, appeal to the public etc.), or what most Social Practice artists aim for, yet seldom achieve? Is it because Banksy has found a new way of getting into the art world, not through the gated front door of the accepted powerbrokers but through a much bigger door, round the back? Thus pointing out that the “gatekeepers” are not only useless but actually detrimental to public appreciation of art? Is it because, no matter what they claim about wishing for “democratic” understanding of art, the truth is that most artworldians spend tons of energy trying to be separate and supposedly aloof? And so on. I think the derision of his light but witty art (which is what most contemporary Conceptualist-based art is anyway) says far more than his art does.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 07:48:44 +0000
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