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Banksy in London: A Dead Tree and Vivid Hues in Finsbury Park
In an unexpected corner of London’s Finsbury Park, a new Banksy piece silently confronts passersby with a jarring juxtaposition of life and decay. Unannounced but unmistakably Banksy, the artwork features a lifeless tree standing in stark contrast to a backdrop of vibrant green splatters—created, in a twist of irony, with a fire extinguisher. This vivid use of color and medium not only captivates visually but also provokes a deep contemplation of the themes it presents.The stark imagery of a dead tree in a park, where life is expected to flourish, is immediately compelling. Behind it, the wall serves as a canvas for an explosion of bright green paint, applied with such force and volume that it suggests a wild, almost violent attempt to resurrect the greenery that should have been. This artificial canopy of leaves, rendered through the unconventional method of a fire extinguisher, speaks to a profound message of loss, resilience, and perhaps a critique of human attempts to control or mimic nature’s beauty. The contrast between the lifeless tree and the vibrant paint creates a visual and thematic dichotomy that is ripe for interpretation.Context and Significance: Beyond the SurfacePlacing this work in the context of Banksy’s oeuvre, it aligns with his penchant for addressing societal issues with poignancy and humor. Yet, this piece stands out for its direct engagement with environmental themes, using the visual medium to highlight the contrast between what is natural and what is artificial. The choice of Finsbury Park as the location adds layers to its interpretation, possibly reflecting on the park as a space of coexistence for nature and urbanity, and the ongoing struggles to balance the two.The Impact of Banksy’s Environmental CommentaryThis latest installation invites viewers to reflect on their relationship with nature and the environment. By juxtaposing the dead tree with the artificial vibrancy of the green paint, Banksy may be urging a reevaluation of how urban societies interact with the natural world. The use of a fire extinguisher to apply the paint also suggests a sense of urgency, a call to action that cannot be ignored.Conclusion: A Mirror to Our TimesBanksy’s unannounced work in Finsbury Park serves not only as a visual spectacle but as a profound commentary on the environmental challenges facing contemporary society. As with all his pieces, the true meaning may remain enigmatic, allowing interpretations to flourish and encouraging public discourse. This artwork, silent yet screaming, presents a poignant reflection on the state of our natural world and the artificial means by which we seek to preserve it.In the wake of this powerful statement, the conversation around environmental conservation and our role within it is invigorated. Banksy’s piece stands as a testament to the power of art to inspire, challenge, and provoke thought, leaving an indelible mark on the canvas of public consc (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); More
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‘Banksy of Borovsk,’ a Russian Muralist, Wages His Own War
An 84-year-old artist, defying Moscow’s crackdown on dissent, wants his country to acknowledge misdeeds both past and present.An 84-year-old artist was standing in front of one of the many murals he has painted in his provincial hometown one recent day when a group of young women passed by. They had traveled some 60 miles from Moscow just to see his latest work, and they tittered at the encounter.“This is so cool,” said one. “You are the main attraction of town.”The artist, Vladimir A. Ovchinnikov, has long covered the walls of the town with pastoral scenes, portraits of poets and daily life, in the process earning himself a reputation as the “Banksy of Borovsk.” But it is his political art that is now attracting attention. At a time when dissent is being crushed across Russia, Mr. Ovchinnikov has been painting murals protesting the invasion of Ukraine.It is a comparison he does not appreciate. Unlike the mysterious British-based street artist, Mr. Ovchinnikov works for all to see. And where a politically charged new Banksy offering may be cause for sensation, Mr. Ovchinnikov’s murals are not always welcomed — at least, not by the authorities.“I draw doves, they paint over them,” he said.Mr. Ovchinnikov is a rare dissident in Russia, where public criticism of the war can land people in jail or exile. He said his age and his family history offered a modicum of protection, even though he has been fined, questioned by the authorities and pelted with snowballs.“I am different from the majority of people: I’m almost 85 years old, and I’ve got nothing to lose,” he said. “If you are of working age, you can lose your job, and they will pick you up faster. I, an old man, seem to be treated differently.”Borovsk, Russia, where Mr. Ovchinnikov lives.Nanna Heitmann for The New York TimesMr. Ovchinnikov repairing an old painting of a couple reading.Nanna Heitmann for The New York TimesHe also said his own history — he did not meet his father until age 11 because his father had spent 10 years in a gulag, and his grandfather and uncle were killed by the state — drove him to denounce violence and war. Upon his retirement as an engineer in Moscow, he settled in his father’s house in Borovsk. His father had chosen the town because as a former political prisoner, he was forced to live at least 60 miles away from the capital.For his service as the town’s public conscience, Mr. Ovchinnikov has repeatedly clashed with local officials. Amid the domestic crackdown that has accompanied the war, he has been playing a cat-and-mouse game with the authorities. Many of Mr. Ovchinnikov’s murals are covered over within days or weeks.Across from the town’s voenkomat, or military commissariat, the cream-colored walls on Lenin Street are smeared haphazardly with gobs of white paint. Underneath, Mr. Ovchinnikov said, is his painting of a girl wearing the blue and yellow of Ukraine as three missiles fly overhead. Underneath, in large, bold letters: “Stop this!!!”The State of the WarAid for Ukraine: In the latest attempt to buoy Ukraine through a brutal winter, international leaders have announced around 1 billion euros to repair the country’s infrastructure.Avoiding Questions: President Vladimir V. Putin will not hold his annual December news conference. The move comes as Russia’s economy falters and follows a series of military setbacks in Ukraine.Splintered Loyalties: The town of Sviatohirsk, in Ukraine’s east, is divided by where people’s allegiances lie: with Moscow or Kyiv.Brittney Griner’s Release: By detaining the athlete, the Kremlin weaponized pain and got the United States to turn over a convicted arms dealer. Can the same tactic work in the war?After painting over the graffiti, the authorities turned their attention to Mr. Ovchinnikov, fining him 35,000 rubles, about $560, and accusing him of “discrediting the Russian armed forces.”“A fine for the fact that I want peace,” Mr. Ovchinnikov said. “I’m discrediting our military. How disgraceful.”His supporters sent donations to help him cover the fine.Nearby, in the town’s small central park, Mr. Ovchinnikov pointed to a statue of Lenin. It is not unlike those standing in practically every Russian town to this day. “That’s our leader,” he said sarcastically. The statue, he noted with a wry smile, is pointing straight at the voenkomat.In 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and fomented separatist movements in eastern Ukraine, Mr. Ovchinnikov drew a Ukrainian flag on the statue’s pedestal. “I didn’t have time to write ‘Glory to Ukraine,’” he said. “They came and picked me up right away.”A World War II memorial in Borovsk. On its back, Mr. Ovchinnikov erected his own memorial dedicated to the repressed.Nanna Heitmann for The New York TimesAn antiwar painting by Mr. Ovchinnikov that had been vandalized.Nanna Heitmann for The New York TimesRussia under Vladimir V. Putin has sought to airbrush its history.It prefers, for example, to portray Joseph Stalin as the leader who led the Soviet Union to victory in World War II, and minimize the scale of the crimes the state under his rule committed against its own people. Memorial, a human rights organization that won the Nobel Peace Prize this year for its work chronicling political repression, has been dismantled.In Borovsk, where he moved after retiring from his career as an engineer, Mr. Ovchinnikov is fighting a lonely battle to keep the memory alive.Tucked behind Lenin in the park is a vandalized black stone, a monument to the those who were repressed during the Stalin era. Mr. Ovchinnikov had campaigned for it — but he is the one who vandalized it. He had wanted the memorial to include the names of all those from Borovsk who had been repressed.“I wrote ‘trampled and forgotten,’ and higher on the rock, ‘return their names,’” he said, referring to the idea that he was restoring dignity to the victims, who are currently a nameless and uncounted mass.That, too, was covered up with paint.Nearby, at the center of the park, stands a memorial to those who defended the Soviet Union during World War II. On its large back wall in 2019, Mr. Ovchinnikov erected his own memorial, one dedicated to the repressed. He painted a huge banner with portraits of people who had been shot. “Executed Future,” he called it.“I wrote down the names of only those shot,” he said. “There are 186 of them. But those who met their end in the camps — I should have added them.”As he walked to the front of the memorial, he paused to examine the list of names of the soldiers who died during the war.“For every 100 people who died on the battlefields, 170 were shot by our authorities,” Mr. Ovchinnikov said. “Yes, they have something to hide. But I think that the only reason they don’t want people to know about the scale is that they don’t want people to know what our government is capable of doing.”Farther down the street, he took a piece of charcoal from his pocket and traced four numbers faintly visible under a fresh coat of paint: 1937, the year that Stalin’s repression peaked. “The fact we’re trying to forget our tragedy, our repression, is one of the reasons for what is happening in Ukraine now,” he said.Mr. Ovchinnikov with one of his antiwar paintings that was covered over by the authorities.Nanna Heitmann for The New York TimesMr. Ovchinnikov painted a dove underneath signs near a store entrance.Nanna Heitmann for The New York TimesMany people feel uncomfortable when confronted with the painful history — and present — and do not welcome Mr. Ovchinnikov’s art.In the town’s central market, an older man pulling a cart stopped in front of a mural of his that was commissioned by the local butcher. It showed an artist holding a large goblet in front of a still life with meat.“If I had my wall defaced like this, I would paint over it,” the man told Mr. Ovchinnikov gruffly.Other residents who appreciate his apolitical art but back the war are rankled by his support for Ukraine.“It was not right to draw that,” said Aleksei, 32, pointing to a mural with sunflowers and another one next to it called “Nostalgia,” which featured a Russian woman and a Ukrainian woman holding hands. “Nostalgia” had been vandalized: The Ukrainian woman’s eyes had been gouged out.“Ukraine is not on our side but against us, and we don’t need Ukraine to exist,” said Aleksei, who declined to give his surname. “They started the war. We didn’t start the war.”Last month, Mr. Ovchinnikov was pelted with snowballs when he was updating some antiwar graffiti by the main road.“First I wrote ‘Z: madness,’” he said, referring to the letter that has become a symbol of support for the invasion. “They painted over it. Then I wrote ‘Z: Shame.’ They painted over it. Then I wrote ‘Z: Fiasco.’”That was in November. Soon after, a major from the intelligence services came to his home to question him.“With the inscription, I had the goal of conveying to the population and guests of the city of Borovsk that the special military operation is a failure and that it must be stopped,” he wrote in his official statement, using the Kremlin’s euphemism for the war.“I do not repent for what I have done. I do not feel my guilt. I had to do what I did.”“I draw doves, they paint over them,” Mr. Ovchinnikov said about the authorities.Nanna Heitmann for The New York Times More
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“Street Chronicles” Group Exhibition at UrbanBreak, Seoul, South Korea
Urban & Street Art Fair, URBAN BREAK 2022, marks its third anniversary this year. URBAN BREAK drew attention with 15,000 people attending in 2020, the first year alone. Last year, despite COVID-19 at its peak, 40,000 people visited the fair, thereby solidifying its status as one of the most prominent fairs.Rom Levy, director of StreetArtNews, co-planned the Special Exhibition of International Street Artists. Entitled Street Chronicles, the exhibition is showcasing the works of artists who were the pillars of street art techniques, concepts and different styles.STREET CHRONICLES retraces a side of Urban Art history bringing the streets of NYC and London to Seoul.Street art was considered vandalism when protesters during wars and political corruptions used the walls of their cities to comment on political and social issues with slogans and graffitis. What was initially regarded as vandalism has since become a significant art form. Murals and other forms of street art are renowned for their beautification of cities, raising awareness, and standing as witnesses to history.This proposal includes Banksy, whose identity remains anonymous to the day. His politically charged works provoke alternative viewpoints, encouraging revolution in the art world, making him one of the most controversial street artists. Banksy’s work has been breaking down the boundaries and expectations of street art critics, using many different street art mediums and styles. Banksy began his graffiti practice inspired by Blek Le Rat, one of the most prominent artists in Street Art. Inspired by what he saw in New York during his visit in 1971, Blek Le Rat started creating artworks across the streets of Paris in 1981. He primarily used stencils in his practice. His first stencils were black rats running along the walls throughout Paris. In 1983 he began to paint life-sized stencils, which became his trademark alongside his rats and have influenced generations of street artists worldwide.Also included are other notable Urban artists such as D*Face, Shepard Fairey and Invader, who all contributed to the development of the art styles and mediums. Alongside artists from the newer generation who weave the connection between street art and the wave of the new contemporary, such as Roby Dwi Antono, Andrew Hem, Lonac and Andrew Schoultz. Their work bridges contemporary art aesthetics with illustrative figuration. For example, Andrew Hem incorporates atmospheric and richly textured narratives in a vivid palette of twilight blues invigorated by fields of deep red and specks of golden light. Spirits are evoked through the visionary presentation of remembrances and dreams of his haunting impressions of civilisation and landscapes. While Andrew Schoultz’s work has a visual approach to social and political commentary. His enormous murals, paintings, installations and sculptures are heavily patterned, creating an intense and mesmerising vision of current events.Street art is dedicated to bringing art to the people, raising awareness about political and social issues, and portraying the truth of reality.‘I want the characters of the paintings to walk out of the museums to give them back to the people of the city.’ -Blek Le Rat.Tickets for URBAN BREAK 2022 are sold at KRW 20,000 for general admission and at KRW 100,000 for VIP admission. Those who have purchased VIP tickets can enter early from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm prior to the exhibition to be open on July 21st, 2022, at 3:00 pm. Venue will be at COEX Hall B, Seoul, South Korea.You can book your tickets to this year’s Urban Break at their website. More
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Clown Skateboards – Final Manifesto Drop!
Clown skateboards have just dropped the final release of decks in their ‘Manifesto’ series. In their words, via an Instagram announcement, they put out the following statement:‘We love our manifesto and what it meant to us. However, this drop of manifestos will be the end of the “here to finish what we started” run… We decided upfront that this will be the final run of manifesto’s as we have been back for a minute now and have new goals we want to fulfil.’This marks the close of another chapter in the Clown story, but for anyone following along so far, you know that it’s far from over. One of the key goals for Clown when they decided on their return, around 15 years after they shut down their doors back in the early noughties, was that they were aiming for a carbon neutral operation. They aren’t quite up to speed yet, but this is the main focus of the next act, as they explain below:‘It was obvious we weren’t going to be a fast fashion, why the fuck would you want to! Waste of ink, cloth and packaging brands that don’t understand all the various steps of the value chain and more importantly the side effects of production is a place we do not want to be in. So, we picked makers that had a lower impact, we deliberately picked printing methods that used lower discharge and packaging that was compostable at least. To date on all our apparel we can honestly say that:78% (“So not 100% perfect, but 100% on the way there”) of it is made using renewable energy100% is made using organic or recycled fibers100% comes from places that do look after the people that make it and pay them properly (that shit matters).All our clothing packing is FSC, locally manufactured, recyclable or compostable and none of it has the characteristics of a plastic bag as when that shit hits the ocean and yes 10% of all bags do – who knows why. It does break down after 2 years but in the process, it chokes marine life, we have all seen the photos…We don’t just leave it there as we also carry this over in our boards with all wood coming from forest conservations areas that maintain biodiversity in nature, all waste 100% recycled and glues that are not going to make those pressing our boards to be ill in a few years and then dump all that into our waterways. We don’t shrink wrap and all the bags we do use are made from recyclable material and can be recycled again.Obviously, these things have a cost attached to them but better than costing the earth, right? But that cost is on us, your agreement when buying Clown stuff is to wear the fuck out of it then up-cycle it or hand it on. If you buy to waste, please don’t buy from us.Two new tee drops include a triple pack of tees, and the ‘Mr Ed’ tee joins the Clown OG design, which returns for a ‘Flashlite’ special. Based around the idea of the funk band Parliament, who used to shine flashlites (aka torches, if you’re British) into the crown to shine a light on people who had found the funk. Flipping the idea into the 21st century, Clown are shining the light back on the people who support them – without you, they say, ‘we’re in the dark’.Both tee drops are part of the Clown “one of 120 products”, which means they will make 120 of these bad boys, with 20 going out to clown team members and the rest up for grabs. Fully vegan, organic, and made by people that don’t work in a sweatshop and get paid properly. Happy days.www.instagram.com/clown_skateboardswww.clownskateboards.com/shop More
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Banksy new street works in Gorleston, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.
Looks like Banksy is spending his summer holidays in the UK as a few pieces have just popped up in Gorleston, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.As usual with the elusive British artist, he dropped a series of brilliant works which are sure to be enjoyed by the local vacationers.Could it be related that Great Yarmouth, Gorleston and Lowestoft are submitting a joint bid to become the next UK City of Culture in 2025?Expect to hear from Banksy confirming these works shortly. More
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Discovering Banksy – Part 8
British street artist Banksy has a career that has been marked by experimentation, risk, and a daring playfulness. His stencil-heavy motifs—of rats, cops, and kids with balloons—have simply become part of a shared cultural vocabulary, reproduced (and ripped off) with abandon.Banksy’s signature style emerged around the 1990s and became recognized around areas of Bristol. It was by the early 2000s that Banksy relocated to London. This is where he began to gain notoriety; but, at the same time, his international work took off.“Royal Guard Peeing on Wall” London, 2002Initially, he preferred drawing and producing freehand, but in 2000 he began using stencils, in part due to how quickly they may be produced. Scroll down below and view our selection of Banksy’s early stencil-works in around London.“Girl hugging TV” in Covent Garden, London, 2005Old Street, London, 2005East End, London, 2005Banksy’s CCTV’s in London, 2003Banksy’s Pooh Bear in London, 2003“Snorting Copper” by Banksy on Curtain Road, in Shoreditch, London, 2005Curtain Road, Londoin, 2004“Che Guevear” by Banksy in London, 2003Board X Urban Games, London, 2000Dalston, London back in 2003“Flower Thrower” in London, 2000Again, much like his other works, this simple image of “Flower Thrower” conveys a lot, in terms of his political commentary. By substituting flowers for a weapon, it’s as if Banksy is sending a message that there can be peace and hope, even in places where there is a lot of destruction. More
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Discovering Banksy – Part 7
Arguably the most controversial street artist in the world, the works of Banksy have become a subculture in their own right. Banksy’s works are well-known for being political and thought-provoking at the same time. The anti-establishment slant together with his creativity made him reach this level of popularity.Banksy is without doubt among the most gifted minds and has expressed his thoughts through his graffiti. Take a look below and enjoy these quotes and sayings by Banksy.“Do not punish yourself”, 2005Artwork from Los Angeles Series, 2003Japan, 2002Graffiti work in Los Angeles, USAMural done on Melrose Ave in Hollywood, California. It depicts the famous sidekick Robin with the quote “NO MORE HEROES”.Bristol, England, Late 90’sThis is a very obscure early Banksy stencils from the late 90s in Bristol. The text is paraphrasing a quote from the film director David Puttnam “Nowhere in the world will you find a statue of a critic, or the biography of a committee”.Early London, UK work, 2001Quote from Los Angeles show, 2006“Fame is a basic human right” Los Angeles, USA, 2006“You looked better on myspace” another work from Los Angeles, USA, 2006Early piece of Banksy from Glasgow, Scotland,“Lying to the police is never wrong”Banksys “The Bear and the Bee” in Kensington Park Road, LondonThis piece is found on the side of a trash container in Notting Hill, London. It is a parody of a La Fontaine fable.“If you win the rat-race, you’re still a rat”London, United Kingdom, 2004A love poem by Banksy form Los Angeles show, 2006Last image is Banksy’ s take on romance injected with his kind of humour. More
