Wuz Banksy Here? - May 20, 2007
I was on my way uptown the other day to go hang out with a friend. Chinatown was kind of a mess, as it usually is on Saturdays. All the cute kiddies were out playing China kiddie games in their triple pattern outfits with three pigtails (one right on top the head like an antenna. Ridiculously cute. I'm going broke buying popsicles). So my buddy Frog--and I call him Frog because he doesn't speak a lick of English and I can't pronounce his Chinese name--was waiting on the stoop for the second of the day's Bunny-bought popsicles. I can't say no, but I didn't have cash on me, so I slipped around the back side of the building where I saw this:
So my first thought was "Holy shit, I love that." There's a lot of great tagging in my neighborhood, particularly this guy (or girl) who tags everything--busses, trucks, buildings, etc.--with "Beat your kids." Hilarious. But there's no real street art going on. At least nothing as interesting as the art of Londoner, Banksy, the guy who replaced hundreds of copies of Paris Hilton's CD with fakes that listed such song tracks as "Who am I?," and "What have I done?" Do yourself a favor and check out his site. His stuff is great. I particularly love this one:
...because I'm American, and what American family doesn't live like that? The Tyler Elephant would have been more like this:
But whatever. So there's a lot of speculation that this is a Banksy, or a Banksy copycatter--some uninventive dude named BORF--but either way, its pretty great and I wanted to share it with you.
I love New York. Great art, right on your building.
Posted by The Bunny at 10:12 PM
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I absoloutley love Banksy's art. The stuff he does on londodn is really, really great. Like his 4 mile, white line that leads to a politician snorting it. He's the reasonme and my brother spray painted all the fire-hydrants gold, and then put a "What Would Bhuddah Do"? stencil on the church sidewalk.
Posted by: wilder at May 21, 2007 12:44 AM
Heya Bunny,
For more of Banksy and his contemporaries, and some great street art around the world, check out www.woostercollective.com. A great site, and they're based in NY, just like you.
I look forward to the day you start stenciling buildings with Murph and Maxie.
Posted by: Heather at May 21, 2007 12:55 AM
One of the reasons I love living in Melbourne is the stencil art. It's absolutely wonderful, as far as I'm aware there's still quite a bit of Banksy's stuff around here from when he came out a few years back. It's pretty awesome.
Posted by: Liam at May 21, 2007 07:38 AM
Borf is no faker. This guy has been tagging DC for years. There are news reports about him and everything. He is only 18 or 19. I think he was still in high school as of last year. Funny that this got up to DC.
Back in DC, he used to stencil in a picture of a goofy kid with the name Borf below it. It turns out it was his best friend who committed suicide and was nicknamed Borf. I can't remember all the details. I am not sure the reason he was compelled to paint his image on some of the most hard to reach places in DC, but he did.
Personally, I think he is legit. He always has something fun and juvenile to say. It reminds me what it was like to be a kid searching for my own identity.
Anyways, he was arrested about a year ago and I have not seen him since. he is a very talented tagger. Good to see that he is being noticed up in NY now. Much props to him.
-Testify!
Posted by: Testify! at May 21, 2007 08:03 AM
I would have painted the elephant's toenails.
Posted by: TheTrixie at May 21, 2007 10:24 AM
Everyone should read the New Yorker profile of him. Banksy kicks serious ass for a number of reasons. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/05/14/070514fa_fact_collins/
My favorite work:
Posted by: CptB at May 21, 2007 02:24 PM
BORF has a following in DC (BORF BRIGADE COMMUNIQUE). They held a protest in the streets of DC about a year ago. Below is video from their protest and the second link is a video with their message that they projected on the wall of a building.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QHXeDU9c2IU
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FLdVBf0TCQw
Ashley
Washington, DC
Posted by: Ashley at May 21, 2007 03:05 PM
Banksy's artwork is pretty cool, always beautiful, usually thought-provoking and often funny. A lot of modern artists could learn from him. If you don't know who he is, check wikipedia for some of his stuff. I live in Bristol, where he got started and is from, and see his "Naked Man" everyday when I walk into the centre.
Posted by: Harry Hopkinson at May 21, 2007 03:42 PM
London my ass! He was brought up in my hometown, Bristol.
He recently stencilled a naked man hanging off a window ledge whilst a woman and a man look for him....on the side of a sexual health clinic.
Posted by: rachael at May 21, 2007 04:20 PM
I was living in Adams Morgan at that time and I have always been a fan of Borfs art since I passed like 20 Borfs during my morning runs.
I am surprised that that whole things just passed me by. Those kids looked to young/cool/derelict to hang out with me anyway.
Posted by: -Testify! at May 22, 2007 03:10 PM
If you like Bronxism (otherwise known as graffitti), check out this German fellow: Stefan Strumbel.
It's basically pop art...in the form of graffitti.
Posted by: Michelle at May 23, 2007 04:49 PM
Bunny,
Borf is legit. here is an article in the washington Post about him from about 2 years ago. If you look in the background of the photo, the art is the same as what you saw.
Mike
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/13/AR2005071302448.html
Posted by: Mikey at May 24, 2007 12:19 PM
ok, seriously, don't post this, but I love your sister. Fuck Tucker; she is awesome. Were I in a survival situation/ready for doins you are totes my gal, but she is hilarious. I love you, seriously. ok, I'm done.
Posted by: anna at May 24, 2007 10:42 PM
Mean, mean bunny. BORF is a talented teenager & the tag that you saw in your neighborhood is his.
Posted by: k at June 4, 2007 01:23 AM
i fucking love banks.
there's a copycat in my town and it brings joy to my otherwise meaningless consumer driven life.
and oh bunny,
you do too.
Posted by: kate at June 9, 2007 07:01 PM
Bansky is from Bristol, South West England, not from London - I live in Bristol and his art work is everywhere, he's even recently released a book of artwork in Bristol x
Posted by: Gabby at January 3, 2008 05:29 AM
