HOW BANKSY SAVED ART HISTORY

Hypermodern alt-art works best when fully aware of its lineage, says this study.

The artist Banksy has always been an oddity. His works appear in public spaces but he is determined to remain anonymous. He is applauded as a creative entrepreneur but he disdains the established art world. Cultural critic Grovier sets out to unravel Banksy's work and to understand how and why he has risen out of the morass of underground art. The key, Grovier says, is Banksy’s deep understanding of the history of European art, coupled with his willingness to reference and parody some of its most famous pieces. Grovier employs a simple technique to make his point, placing an image of the original work alongside Banksy’s derivation of it, with a short explanatory essay. A prehistoric cave painting becomes a quasi-graffiti piece, except that the caveman is pushing a shopping cart. Michelangelo’s David wears a flak jacket, and Degas’ petite ballerina is now equipped with a gas mask. The pathetic survivors in Gericualt’s The Raft of the Medusa are transformed into desperate asylum seekers trying to hail a passing luxury yacht. In one of the most ironic pieces, Warhol’s Campbell's soup can emerges (with a strange inside-out drollness) as an economy Brand X soup can. Some of these are satirical fun, while others have a tragic undertone hidden by the apparent roughness of the execution. Grovier does a good job of providing context, and readers who are familiar with Banksy’s work will become aware of an extra dimension. Those who have only heard of Banksy’s name may be pleasantly surprised to find that there is more to him than meets the eye.

Thought-provoking images and insightful text delve into the humor and resonance of Banksy’s work.