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Gabriel Bouys / AFP - Getty Images
A graffiti attributed to secretive British artist Banksy shows a dog urinating on a wall in Beverly Hills, California on February 17, 2011. Another graffiti was ripped down Wednesday in Hollywood, amid sightings of other pieces in a reported pre-Oscars publicity stunts. Banksy is nominated for best documentary for "Exit Through the Gift Shop" at the Oscars, due to be announced on Feb. 27 at the climax of Tinseltown's annual awards season.
Mario Anzuoni / Reuters
An artwork painted on a billboard is seen in Los Angeles on Feb. 16, 2011. Street artist Banksy's first film "Exit Through the Gift Shop" is up for an Oscar -- and it seems the subversive Briton may be waging an unorthodox award campaign on the walls and billboards of Los Angeles. Several examples of graffiti bearing the hallmarks of Banksy's style and humor have turned up in areas of the city in recent days, including a Charlie Brown figure apparently bent on arson, and a cocktail-swigging Mickey Mouse.
Gabriel Bouys / AFP - Getty Images
A graffiti attributed to secretive British artist Banksy depicting Charlie Brown figure starting a fire on the side of a burned-out building on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California on Feb.17. Another graffiti was ripped down in Hollywood, amid sightings of other pieces in a reported pre-Oscars publicity stunt in LA. Banksy is nominated for best documentary for "Exit Through the Gift Shop" at the Oscars, due to be announced on Feb.27 at the climax of Tinseltown's annual awards season.
Gabriel Bouys / AFP - Getty Images
A graffiti attributed to secretive British artist Banksy depicting a child wielding a machine gun, in black and white surrounded by colored flowers, is spotted in Westwood, California on Feb. 17, 2011. Another graffiti was ripped down Wednesday, Feb.16th in Hollywood, amid sightings of other pieces in a reported pre-Oscars publicity stunt. Banksy is nominated for best documentary for "Exit Through the Gift Shop" at the Oscars, due to be announced on February 27th at the climax of Tinseltown's annual awards season.
Graffiti credited to secretive British artist Banksy has been appearing in Los Angeles over the past few days. The artist is nominated for best documentary for "Exit Through the Gift Shop" at the Oscars. I wonder if he will show his face to accept the award.
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I watched 'Exit Through the Gift Shop' over the weekend--a great documentary.
This world needs more creativity and humour such as this -- we are puckered way to tight o;0~
This wall amy have been left alone except the city had to put all those crummy signs on the wall. The line work looks better than they do.
I love it.
Banksy is a hero to me and we are lucky to have him in the us.
He committed animal cruelty in his movie. He painted an elephant with paint meant for wood. He should not be able to receive an award. More info here.
Elephants have much bigger concerns than dying of paint based diseases, and I genuinely doubt that the elephant felt any real discomfort or it would have stomped him. Elephants aren't exactly pets or defenseless.
It was actually children's face paint
Is there such thing as elephant paint?
I went to that show and let me tell you that elephant was taken care of and given better breaks than a union member! And if you think ANY life form on display for theatrics is being exploited/in danger then you need to broaden your rant to dog shows, children performances, and any other number of situations we can add to your list.
YES the elephant did suffer. She was not allowed to lie down for days so as to not ruin his ridiculous "painting" efforts. She was also kept in an extremely hot trailer for hours on end. And to Keith, elephants who "stomp" are always executed. Is that the way this poor creature should have to defend herself? The outfit who rented a living being to that uncaring boob Banksy, has had numerous animal cruelty violations filed against them, yet sadly they are still in operation. It was not children's face paint, it was paint meant for wood, not safe for skin.
Not only did he do it he is claiming it on his website....
Banksy? This looks much more like Mr. Brainwash to me. I should know, I have one of his pieces hanging in my foyer.
Mr. Brainwash just rips off Bansky and other artists. He is hardly an artist himself. I hope you didn't pay for your Mr. Brainwash piece.
Mr. Brainwash was a joke produced by Banksy. To show how people can eat up crap art that can be mass produced. I feel sorry for you if you actually paid for a Mr. Brainwash piece.
SlickDaddyCool - if you're feeling bad and want to rid yourself of the Mr. Brainwash, I'll take it! Due to the notoriety, it must be worth something. Art is all somewhat of a scam (and I love it!) Banksy said, "become good at cheating and you never need to become good at anything else."
I love it....(Thumbs Up). He should do another one but this time in Washington D.C. and deface some national monuments. I'd be for it.=) Give a make over to Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln just to name a few. It's all about Freedom Of Expression.............
I like it too but stay away from my beloved D.C....
You know, I'm suppose to be working instead of reading all your negative crap. I love the artwork, who cares about the movie? Everything is either political, racist, commercialized, some right wing Nazi flavored propaganda or down right stupid.
Banksy's a creep, but I respect that his graffiti is actually art instead of base tags or inane, poorly executed pictograms of skulls, lewd hand gestures or genitalia. Gang tags are (mostly) not art. Most of it's like a dog or other animal marking its territory, not an expression of any political or emotional intent. Not all graffiti is art, but it can be, when executed properly. Banksy is one of those few unorthodox artists that has transcended from graffiti nuisance to satirist. Good for him.
Take a close look at the bullets of the gun the kid is holding... Look like crayons to me.
Hence the flowers drawn in a childish way next to the kid.... from crayons to bullets for child soldiers.
Did you eat any paint chips when you where younger?
Banksy, if you're out there, just throwing this invite out again. You can paint on anything of mine you want to! Shepard Fairey too. To quote Spinal Tap, "there's a fine line between clever and stupid" and some of thse artists have crossed over from crime to creating valuable public art works.
I find Banksy entertaining and most of his art is enjoyable and thought-provoking.
The film is quite good and actually made in two parts: part 1 is about a Frenchman filming Banksy and others at work (with no intention of making a film, while telling them that he was) and part 2 is Banksy filming the Frenchman attempting to make himself into an 'artist' by copying others.
Who cares about this stunt or whatever it is.
The movie was a bore, this guy is a bore.
Banksy is a bore?! You, sir, should look up "bore" in the dictionary.
Not enough explosions for you there, Gary-340959?
@Gary and yet you felt compelled to click through when you saw his name..... huh.
All interesting new forms of art are called garbage by those with little imagination. Twenty years later those same critics have a print of the art they criticised hanging in their home, while the originals are selling for hundreds of thousands or more.
I don't know what all he painted on in LA, and I'm sure it matters whether it's a private building or a public overpass. He painted a big rat on a rundown pub in Liverpool and it doubled or tripled the value of the building. Some people prefer Thomas Kinkade or Norman Rockwell, but I'm OK with Banksy, and if you've got a Jean-Michel Basquiat you're throwing out, let's talk.
Loved it (much better than similar "Beautiful Losers" from awhile back -- humor, expostiion, light plot line, more focused characters, etc). Loved it, but the documentaries are going to be the close horserace this year If Exit doesn't win, I hope it's Restrepo and not the educational thing.
Banksy's cool, not just a thug. He has more of a mind than the skeptics.
I never heard of him until he did that Simpsons opening earlier this TV season, and then I looked him up and I love his work. Its a shame cities paint over his stuff, considering his stuff is way better than what gangs and taggers put up 99% of the time
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS!! It Wakes You UP!!
Only LA can Do It Justice.
For all of you who seem to be too nice to say it I will, the guy's an a-hole plain and simple!!!!
If he owns a car, a home, a boat, etc.... I would like to "artistically" spray them with bright orange paint. Or, piss on his clothes---all in the name of art, of course.
Sorry, but he can make your car look a whole lot cooler than you can make his car look.
Yeah, it's a fuzzy line between simple destruction and artistic speech, and those who somehow can't see the line are bound to stay with the simplistic viewpoint.
In the end, these artists really aren't damaging anything your punk-ass kids haven't already ruined. The sadness is that the gang scrawl and the informed and talented message wind up lasting about the same short time.
Enjoy it and think about it or go get your shorts twisted up over something significant.
How about your address? Please include zip code. I am sure you will welcome any and all artistic endeavors on your property.
"these artists really aren't damaging anything your punk-ass kids haven't already ruined."
Oh, really? Besides being an avant-garde art critic, you now have ESP about the family situations of any, and all, posters?
And, you probably appreciated the haute couture of the Emperor's New Clothes?
Wow, totally love the crayon firing machine gun! Thats way cooL!
www.total-online-privacy.us.tc
Pia Mia (14 years old) sings with background of NEW Banksy world famous street art discovered in Westwood Village, Los Angeles, California, February 17, 2011. Bansky's piece was found on the ally wall of Urban Outfitters on the UCLA Campus. I live in Westwood Village and happened to be walking home from lunch when I saw it today. I decided to sing live before the observers that were present "Will You Be There" by Michael Jackson because I felt it portrayed a similar message as Banksy's piece
See the Pia Mia with Banksy "Boy with Gun" performance here: