Banksy, Wooster, and the Street Art Problematic

Banksy hits NY city with his sniping promotions, RJ gets his two cents in regarding Marc Schiller's involvement in the Exit Through The Gift Shop promotion, Marc responds to the masses with an honest plea for understanding.

What is street art? What is this community we are all involved in but a loose knit group of individuals trying to make it in this world while promoting a criminal activity which holds keys to a better use of public space? I think we all need to take a deep breath and give one another some credit for championing what is an incredible deviation from the norm. I love the conversations that are a result of all this flurry of activity, in fact the conversation excites me more than the work in many ways.

Today at the Resisting Enclosure panel discussion at the CUNY grad center the theme I took from all the panelists involved was a playful use of the city space and our public environment. I decry Banksy's marketing teams' use of typical sniping locations for the promotion of his film. I responded accordingly. I am less worried about Marc's involvement in the promotion of Exit Through The Gift Shop. It was a good film and worthwhile promoting. I don't really know how the promotion benefits Marc, other than it promotes the Wooster brand, which honestly is a good thing by me as long as it is done conscientiously. I think the problem that we face is the fact that those involved in this art scene are acutely aware of the difference between the gift and promotion and draw thin lines whenever they can. These thin lines are not concrete but merely chalk marks we push back and forth as we navigate this incredibly new format.

Lets remember that street art, public art, graffiti, and all forms of unauthorized public curation are intent on creating dialogue, and refrain from making brash decisions about right and wrong, and realize that through our collective conversations we are negotiating what is the right and wrong use of our public environment.

This should ultimately be the goal of all of our actions. And if you want to see some of my favorite artists working today please see El Tono and MOMO for some of the best work around.