~BANKSY PAINTS THE TOWN/and finds the dark side of the moon . . . aka THE SHADOWMAN

and finally L.A. – gets it.

or at least the LOS ANGELES TIMES – DOES !!
in a nice post dated FEBRUARY 24, 2011 by ALEXANDRA LE TELLIER – is that name for real ? – they have got some great great pix – apparently BANKSY leaves a pictorial trail – wherever he goes – and, he must be in L.A. cause his ‘EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP’ is up for an Oscar !!

maybe they got their cool – a lesson learned (?) from the recent over-reaction to, and censorship of L.A.’s MOCCA – over their dollar bill-draped . . . mural by BLU – that got white-washed over within 24 hrs of the making, and stirred up a big backlash.
see: GOOD-BYE FREEDOM of SPEECH/artlovers


ALLEGED RECENT BANKSY MURAL IN L.A./PHOTO COURTESY: LOS ANGELES TIMES

THIS IS THE LEAD PHOTO . . . COOL or WHAT. and, if you can’t figure out the pictorial irony – you are a lost cause.

and just like the best, which he is – Banksy nails it. not just metaphorically – but in real-time.
yeah, damn straight. if you are gonna have terrorists plotting to “plant explosives in dolls and place them in strollers” – you are gonna have to start arming – the kindergarten set !!
see: FEDS FOIL TOY TERROR/NEW YORK POST/FEB 25, 2011
am I joking ? I just don’t know.

besides which, it is a great ironic image – and everybody finally got it – that Banksy doesn’t mean: kids – go out and shoot everybody up.
but: kids, so sad. so sorry for the world we are bringing you into.

there are so many great new L.A. – BANKSY forays – chronicled in the article, I can’t resist grabbing a few more:


PHOTO COURTESY: LOS ANGELES TIMES
NYC POSTERBOY – EAT YOUR HEART OUT.
(in fact POSTERBOY is languishing in a NYC jail for defacing subway ads.)


PHOTO COURTESY: LOS ANGELES TIMES


PHOTO COURTESY: LOS ANGELES TIMES

the accompanying text – is pretty street smart, too !!

it starts:
“the elusive graffiti artists Banksy, whose film, “Exit Through the Gift Shop” is nominated for an Academy Award . . . made his mark in the underground art scene by developing an anti-establishment persona — one that’s shrouded from the public eye. So it’s not surprising that, while the rest of of the Oscar nominees prepare for Sunday’s Academy awards with interviews and appearances . . . Banksy has gone counter-culture. Forget full-page ads in Variety. He’s building buzz with new graffiti art popping up all over L.A.”

and concludes with the question: has Banksy gone too far ?

“Not at all, says our editorial board:
Oscar campaigns are all about visibility – – a carefully calibrated amount, of course – – and self-promotion. But Banksy is managing to mock the rituals and the self-seriousness of the Academy Awards even as he promotes himself. As best we can tell, he doesn’t crave true invisibility nor is he issuing any Garbo-esque demands to be left alone. He’s playing a coy “Where’s Banksy” game, and so far, it’s been fun to watch.”

{you can just detect the warning, or the pre-empting legal stance between the lines:
ok. it’s been fun, Banksy – but, don’t go overboard – don’t cross the line with too much property damage or deface anything really serious !! ha. no dollar bill-draped vet coffins.}

and the final words:

“If Academy officials are worried that Banksy might do something bizarre on Oscar night, our advice is not only to get over that, but to invite him back next year as a presenter.” amen.

well, at least they know what side their bread is buttered on.
a whole lot more people are gonna be watching to see what happens if Bansky actually wins – since he has never shown his face in public. ever. and what are they gonna do – jump up and arrest him – like they did to Shepard Fairey in Boston ?
OBEY THE RULES.

OH, if only to be in L.A.
I bet there are a whole bunch of conniving, scheming young punk wannabes, a whole new crop of next generation MR. BRAINWASH-ES with cameras, even if just cell phone cameras, stalking the scene – hanging out maybe even around Mr. Brainwash’s house, 24/7 – trying to pick up on, to divine – a new ‘stranger’ on the block – is that Banksy ?
or, are you gonna tell me Bansky walks around in disguise 24/7 ??!!

yo, if you’ve got it – send me the money-shot !! that must be the most-wanted paparazzi shot of the decade, if not the century. that photo would bounce around the world – in a nano-second !! forget Alfredo Martinez at Exit Art in 1999.

read: the LOS ANGELES TIMES / OPINION – piece – ‘Hollywood: Banksy redefines the Oscar campaign’ & check-out the rest of the cool Banksy mural sightings – here !!


UP-DATE: MON FEB 28, 2011 – 11:29 AM

yeah, well the OSCARS were the pits.
the only fun bit – was when JAMES FRANCO lightened up – in drag !! he makes for a beautiful woman. even next to ANNE HATHAWAY.
and RUSSELL BRAND was the only incandescent presenter – next to Helen Mirren’s French.
and oh yeah, that auto-song HARRY POTTER and THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – bit – was sweet too, loved that movie.

but Banksy got snowed out. no play whatsoever. not even one shot of MR. BRAINWASH in the audience, so we could see if anyone Banksy-like was seated beside him. who knows, maybe Banksy is going around – in drag.

and yeah the Academy pretty much toed the institutional line – alluded to the LOS ANGELES TIMES above – and only showed a ‘legit’ photo from ‘EXIT’ – in its don’t blink nominated moment. and I do mean moment. as in nano-second. so disappointing.
only next to ‘NOWHERE BOY’ – not getting any recognition – at all.

this was the only image that flashed on screen:


PHOTO COURTESY: LOS ANGELES TIMES

the ‘elephant’ in the room’ – from his legit 2006 L.A. warehouse show.
and I am willing to bet my last dime – that that lounging laughing, grinning ‘random’ guy reading a paper – on the couch – is Banksy himself. . . aka ‘the elephant in the room’.

the Oscars was so bad – it actually made Banksy’s delightful and gently chiding – wall ‘murals’ – seem way passe, last generation. and thank god they do not show up in New York City. grit time in the severely wormy Big Apple.

in fact I’m so turned off – I’m even beginning to think – maybe VLADIMIR RESTOIN ROITFELD and ANDY VALMORBIDA – have a point in resurrecting that dark, evil, and scuzzy scabby rat-like RICHARD HAMBLETON – aka the shadowman . . .

bye the way, VLAD – just happened upon your fab – and I do mean that – fashion statement piece in the NEW YORK TIMES SUNDAY STYLE SECTION of FEB 20, 2011 . . . ha. well written dude. congrats – its hard not to come off as a pretentious rich kid – and still talk about “my Armani black jacket, black shirt, Hermes scarf, some black jeans and black vintage boots” !!
you are doing all right, by me.
all the power to ya – oh truly – hip and young – 26 yr. old !!


VLADIMIR RESTOIN ROITFELD – in the NEW YOUR TIMES STYLE SECTION – WITH WHAT LOOKS TO BE A ‘NEW’ – CAUSE IT’S SLIGHTLY MORE CHARMING & UP-BEAT – AS OPPOSED TO SOUR, DARK, THREATENING & BITTER – RICHARD HAMBLETON aka THE SHADOWMAN – CANVAS – BEHIND HIM !!
BUT THEN YO, WHAT’S THE POINT ?!!
just joking, dudes !! fire is fire. most of his work – is dancing gypsy cowboy shadows – erupting out of the flames . . . I know. I get it. calm down. you
PHOTO: BY HIROKO MASUIKE for the NEW YORK TIMES

READ: ‘WHAT VLADIMIR WORE’ – CHLOE MALLE/NEW YORK TIMES/STYLE SECTION/FEB 20, 2011 !!