A War In Outdoor Space: Banksy Versus Advertising

By on March 5, 2012 in News 26

The art world’s most intriguingly anonymous character, Banksy, is known for appropriating all sorts of outdoor and arguably “public” spaces. Who else does that? The advertising industry of course. I think one has to agree with his sentiments, albeit with a wry smile given his own predilection for placing his art in places our eyeballs can’t avoid. Here’s his statement:

banksy-on-advertising

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  • Southpaw10677

    Never looked at it that way banksy ,you r damn right f@#k them, all these billboards and advertisements in peoples faces everyday telling you what to buy and wear etc cause if you aint got this or that you aint kool or watever psychological crap they are playing to get you to spend your hard earned money on shit you dont need u r right f#$k them

  • Eric_D_Read

    They never asked for your permission, don’t even start asking for theirs.”

    Simple. Bold. Brilliant.

  • Anon

    Except that the second he had something to sell (his movie) he took out thousands of billboard and subway adverts. Its a shame when your younger, poorer self says things your older richer self can’t live up to.

    • DeepCough

      Well, in all fairness, that spray paint ain’t free.

  • howiebledsoe

    Banksy cant be a man because he doesnt smoke the same cigarettes as me.

  • Nunzio X

    Banksy may be the art world’s most intriguingly anonymous figure, but in the music world, it’s Buckethead.

  • Badaisbest

    Bansky is a hero!

  • Ted

    Banksey actually is anti-establishment, unlike “Disinformation”

    Check out this guy Former Editor for Disinformation:

    http://www.alexburns.net/about/

    He isn’t anti-establishment at all a Trader with an MA in “counter terrorism”?

    Disinformation=Disinformation, without irony.

    • Alex Burns

      Ted,

      I suggest you check out my 1998-2003 work in the Disinformation Archives: http://old.disinfo.com/archive/pages/list/all/by_author/index.html

      I also worked for Australia’s REVelation Magazine (like Mondo 2000) and 21C Magazine in the mid-late 1990s.

      Your post exemplifies an ad hominem attack: selectively cite a person’s credentials and experience, and ignore other aspects.

      Alex

      • Simiantongue

         Aha! Exactly what you’d expect a… erm… counter disinfonaut would say. Yeah yeah that’s the ticket. We’re onto you “agent” Burns. Your plan is to, well, I haven’t gotten that far yet. But I know there’s a master plan in the making! There always is.

        • Ted

          What is your view on the Franklin Cover up and Pedophile Sex rings in high places? Did you know our friend mister Burns also does “disinfo” in regards to ”Satanic Ritual Abuse”?

          http://www.amazon.com/review/R380L3GUSYOGSC/ref=cm_cr_pr_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0446364738&nodeID=&tag=&linkCode=#wasThisHelpful

          • Ted

            Here an extremely well researched site on Pedophile Sex Rings and the involvement of the extreme elite in Finance, government and Military Intelligence, including Michael Aquino’s involvement:

            https://wikispooks.com/ISGP/dutroux/Belgian_X_dossiers_of_the_Dutroux_affair.htm

          • Ted

            ” I had quite a catalogue of information assembled when I turned on the radio one evening and heard Mae Brussell for the first time. She was then on Michael Aquino’s case, which dovetailed neatly with my own work. I phoned parents of children involved in the Presidio child molestation case that I’d interviewed a few weeks before, told them about Mae Brussell’s program, and they phoned her. Mae set up an interview with them and attended the parents’ meetings. I had arranged this as a way of establishing trust, but before I could lay the groundwork toward a meeting with her, she was dead. This hit me very hard. I drove to Monterey and explained my own work and interest in Mae Brussell to Al Kunzer at KAZU. Kunzer produced the radio program that aired her work. He put me on the air for four hours over a two-day period. The response was very favorable. Kunzer asked me to make it a weekly conspiracy show, so I tried to pick up where Mae had left off, as a way, I think, of keeping her alive. I refused to let a voice so important be stilled by mere human mortality, and still feel this way.”- July 31, 2000, Alex Constantine interviewed by Kris Millegan, answering the question, “What got you interested in conspiracies?”"

          • Simiantongue

            Never read DeCamp’s book.

            Burns is right about Blood’s book however. I’d hardly call that write up disinformation, more like spot on. Blood’s book was rubbish IMO and I’m a very forgiving reader.

            I’m going to assume you’re conversing with yourself as the rest of your responses were not aimed at me.

      • Ted

        Finasia Looks like a “Yes Men” parody website. I have no doubt you probably leveraged your status as a hip Bohemian outsider to firmly entrench yourself into the establishment. Establishment insiders love apperaring to be hip. The only reason I googled you is because I read your interview of RAW and it really rankled me that you were like “oooh, well Michael Aquino says so and so what do you think of that?” In fact the whole interview is enclosed in references to Michael Aquino. Michael Aquino at the Beginning and Michael Aquino at the end, giving him the last word. WTF, dude?

        “Mind War” sucks by the way. That guy is whacked in the head. Power hungry idiot.

  • cakeypig

    Shame that Banksy lives in a house made of gold and charges ten zillion pounds per painting. It somewhat undermines his anarchist credibility IMHO!

    • gwen jackson

      i don’t think you know what the word anarchy means. look at you, thinking it’s up to you to decide where he’s allowed to live and how much he should be paid for his work. what an asshole, “imho”. i don’t know who the fuck banksy is, but your comment is pure ass.

  • Seasame Street Thug

    Advertising, graffiti, it’s all the same. I didn’t ask to see it, don’t want to see it.

  • http://voxmagi-necessarywords.blogspot.com/ VoxMagi

    Mr banksy and I agree entirely. Advertising has become an unasked for 24/7 attack on our consciousness…an act of war with no apologies. Any act taken in self defense against such aggression is legitimate by default.

    • Eric_D_Read

      Absolutely. Just stick to the one true law of the land(don’t get caught) while doing it. 

  • GoodDoktorBad

    Just say “Fuck You”…..

    If you buy advertised products you are already paying too much anyway. The products you buy are more expensive because of the advertising budgets of corporations. You are paying for your own brainwashing.

    If a products quality and value doesn’t speak for itself, don’t buy it.

    Just say “Fuck You”
     

  • Camron Wiltshire

    Why can’t more graffiti artists be like Banksy?  A rare mixture of exceeding wit, artistic excellence, and anonymous humility.   To all the other street artists out there.  Please don’t go the route of Mr. Brainwash, please speak something into existence of consequence beyond your endlessly repeated namesake.  

    Imagine what 1,000 Bansky’s could accomplish….  

  • Barkshardly

    Apparently Banksy copied this from a book written in 1999: http://www.readingfrenzy.com/ledger/2012/03/taking_the_piss

  • you guys know that