The Banksy Robbo Feud

Banksy owes much of his success to the graffiti pioneers of the 1980s. "Tags," the slang term for hastily scrawled graffiti epigrams, predate street art by decades, so very few 20th century graffiti tags still exist in London, England today. They have all been removed, but the oldest tag in London once stood on a barely accessible wall along Regent's Canal beneath Camden Street. Created by King Robbo, one of London's most legendary graffiti pioneers, the graffiti had slowly degraded into disrepair along the wall of the canal since 1985, evolving into a sacred piece among London street artists.

In late 2009, however, Robbo's last remaining testament to the old vanguard of the graffiti community in London received an unauthorized makeover. Banksy painted over the old, decrepit Robbo tag, and Robbo himself took great offense to this perceived "diss." A tit-for-tat graffiti feud began between the two artists and, perhaps, would have continued ad infinitum were it not for a tragic accident that has placed Robbo in a coma for quite some time.

The Code of the Graffiti Artist

Feuds between artists are nothing new. Picasso and Matisse feuded 100 years ago, and in the 21st century, Banksy vs. Robbo continued the tradition. Painting over another graffiti artist's work violates an unspoken rule of the street art world as you will find out at Stencil Revolution Banksy, and one has to wonder how many other unspoken rules of engagement exist in the graffiti code. Without the creator's explicit permission, an artist cannot modify another's graffiti even slightly. This rule of the streets sheds light on the disdain street artists have for city councils that remove graffiti in the name of "public interest."

Banksy clearly violated this code, and, apparently, did not care. Perhaps, Banksy assumed that Robbo would not discover his modification. Maybe Banksy thought Robbo would actually exclaim with glee over Banksy's "homage" to one of London's most infamous taggers. Robbo's reaction, however, was bitter, to say the least, bringing the freehand tagger out of retirement. In retaliation, Robbo modified Banksy's modifications, and a graffiti war ensued, with Banksy's artwork across England receiving the worst of it.

Respect is the currency of the street art world. Some graffiti artists prefer to use the term "brotherhood." Either way, the whole point of the graffiti code is "all street artists stick together." In several interviews, Robbo recounts the tale of how he first met Banksy. After Banksy disrespected Robbo's reputation by brushing him off as a nobody in the street art world, Robbo slapped Banksy, sending the millionaire artist stumbling in retreat. Banksy himself has denied this incident happened, but it would explain why Banksy so blatantly violated the code of the streets. Of Bombing and Vandalism

 Of Bombing and Vandalism

Banksy's modification of the Robbo tag seemed innocuous to the casual viewer. The modification showed a painter/workman appearing to either remove or glue the Robbo tag to the wall. The intention of the painter in Banksy's original is purposely vague, true to Banksy's clever stenciling style. Whether as an homage or a diss, Banksy committed a sin from Robbo's perspective. Any changes whatsoever without Robbo's blessing, even a respectful depiction, would have been unacceptable.

To return the favor, Robbo painted over Banksy's workman by depicting the painter touching up a fresh King Robbo tag. In a fit of hypocrisy, Banksy apparently took offense to Robbo's retaliation and bombed the new Robbo Camden tag again. This time Banksy opted for adding the simple letters "Fuc" to the word King in the tag to explicitly express his distaste for Robbo. Robbo responded by removing Banksy's "Fuc", returning the tag to Robbo's modification of Banksy's workman. Eventually, the authorities had enough of the shenanigans of both artists and simply painted over the graffiti completely.

However, the war between Banksy and Robbo had already spread to the streets of London. Banksy most likely did not count on Robbo recruiting an army of loyal graffiti taggers. "Team Robbo" took the battle directly to Banksy artwork all over the country. Banksy could do little to retaliate but repaint over the defacements where he could. Surely, Banksy had his legion of loyal followers too, but Banksy loyalists could not attack Team Robbo in the same way. Robbo's work no longer existed in London, but Banksy's most precious pieces stood unguarded in conspicuous locations around major cities across the country.

Bombings of Banksy's stencil graffiti continued until the authorities in several municipalities actually stepped in to side with Banksy. In the biggest display of public hypocrisy, authorities actually helped remove Team Robbo "vandalism" from Banksy street art. Street art was one thing, but graffiti was another. This irony should give pause to anyone analyzing the impact that street art has had on the contemporary art scene. One man's graffiti is another man's art, apparently.

Stenciling Is Cheating Anyway

Banksy vs. Robbo gives clues to another secret rift in the graffiti world: stenciling versus freehand spray painting. Robbo himself has derided Banksy art as rubbish in several interviews with the media. Unlike Banksy who refuses to appear before media cameras, Robbo gives interviews freely, opting the cover his face with a bandanna to protect his identity. In these interviews, Robbo expressed the opinion of many in the street art scene that stencil graffiti amounts to cheating. The true street artist, according to Team Robbo, spray-paints freehand style. Other purists in the street art scene agree with this ethic and deride all stenciling, especially the stenciling of the "sellout" Banksy, the worst offender of them all.

The final irony of the Banksy-Robbo feud is that the graffiti battle actually vaulted Robbo to fame. Before suffering a tragic head injury, Robbo was to unveil his first major graffiti art exhibition. After abusing Banksy for his fame, Robbo was poised to join him. Robbo's condition has yet to improve appreciably, and it is looking more and more grim for the man once known as London's graffiti pioneers.

After decades of anonymity, Robbo was in a position to finally receive the credit he deserved as a street artist. Were it not for Banksy's diss, Robbo would've remained a hero of the underground. Instead, Robbo's accident has become a rallying cry for street artists to come together and restore the brotherhood of the graffiti community.

Banksy Stencils

While each of Banksys stencils is a stand-alone work of art, the artist does utilize common themes to illustrate his message. Among those themes, the Rat, the Monkey and the Angel appear in many of his pieces, causing one to speculate what each of these figures mean to the artist.

The Rat

The Rat

Banksys mischievous little rat appears in many of his graffiti stencils. The rat may or may not be a tribute to Blec le Rat, who originally stenciled rats because they were the only truly free animal in the city. Of course, these Banksy stencils may well represent the artists bond with the little creatures. Not only are Banksy and the rat both creatures of the night, they are also both looked down upon by polite society.

More about Banksy eminently quotable rat comes up with such pithy statements as Its not a race", London doesnt work" and Because Im worthless." Not only are these statements humorous in and of themselves, they also provide political commentary from a rats " er, Banksys " point of view. Its not a race" may refer to the fact that the rats are taking life seriously. Or, perhaps, it means that man takes life far too seriously, creating a race where no competition is needed. London doesnt work" may refer to the fact that the unemployment rate in London has always been on the high side. Or, perhaps it refers to the dysfunctional animal control system that has been unable to rid the city of rats for centuries. Because Im worthless" may refer to the rats opinion of himself. Or, perhaps it refers to the classic stereotype of graffitists. High society feels that graffiti artists vandalize buildings in order to feel better about themselves. 

The Monkey

The Monkey 

Monkeys are another recurring theme in Banksy stencils. One of his most iconic stencils features a downtrodden monkey wearing a sign that reads, Laugh now, but one day well be in charge." A commentary on mans feeling of superiority towards his simian cousins, or, conversely, the monkeys knowledge that it is the superior race, this stencil appears in many permutations. Other monkeys proclaim that Lying to the police is never wrong." While this expression is typical of human rebels, it also expresses the world from a monkeys point of view. If lying to the police will keep it out of a zoo or a science experiment, a monkey should always lie to the police. Banksys Media Monkey" wears headphones, operates a camera and holds an old-style clapperboard. Is Banksy commenting on the mindless nature of modern film-making or the mindless nature of those who make films, including his own films? Or is he noting that monkeys may well make better movies than those that currently invade the theaters?

Why does Banksy favor monkeys? Perhaps it is an expression of the imitative nature of man as expressed in the aphorism Monkey see, monkey do." After all, art imitates life and life imitates art. Graffiti artists imitate one another, either as a tribute or to mock anothers work. Perhaps Banksy enjoys monkeys simply because they look so much like, yet so much more comical than, their human counterparts. 

Banksy's Fallen Angel

The Angel

One of Banksys most heart-wrenching angels is his tribute to fellow graffiti artist Ozone on the occasion of his death. The angel wears a bulletproof vest and stares down at the skull in his hand. His expression is one of utter loss " a very human expression of grief. Banksys Fallen Angel is one of his most popular pieces of graffiti art. This stark, black-on-white stencil shows a clearly hopeless angel. He or she is holding a lit cigarette, with a bottle of alcohol at the feet. The wings and halo still glow brightly, though, giving hope that this fallen angel will find his or her way, just as many lost humans eventually find their way.

Angels existed long before man. According to the Bible, man was created in Gods image, just as angels. Unlike angels, man was granted a soul. Man had the ability to choose between right and wrong. Do Banksys angels reflect his vision of the humanity of angels or his vision of the angelic qualities in man?

Duality of Nature

Duality 

One constant in Banksys themes is that of the duality of nature. Rats represent the worst side of humanity when one considers the bubonic plague, fleas and other diseases that these creatures carry. When one points his finger at the guilty party in a crime, he is said to have ratted out" the real criminal. Conversely, rats are highly intelligent. Like human beings, rats are also very social creatures. Rats exhibit empathy for one another, which is more than can be said of some humans. Rats and humans share many characteristics. It is up to the viewer to determine which species is preferable.

Like rats, monkeys also have a duality of nature. In Chinese mythology, Sun Wukong is the Monkey King. He learned the art of magic and increased in strength until he overthrew the other gods and goddesses in Heaven and was imprisoned in rock by the Jade Emperor. Conversely, in Indian folklore, Hanuman the Monkey is revered for his loyalty, bravery and devotion to justice. In modern culture, Planet of the Apes" shows a tyrannical side of the simians, while Curious George" takes his handler on a series of innocent misadventures. The two sides of the nature of monkeys mirror the two sides of the nature of humans. Some humans, such as the Zodiac Killer, become mass murderers. Other humans, such as Mother Theresa, devote their lives to the service of others. The similar dual nature of both man and ape allows Banksy to use the two species interchangeably in many of his graffiti pieces.

Angels have shown both their duality of nature and their similarity to humans throughout recorded history. Ancient scrolls from the Book of Enoch detail the aberrant relationship between angels and humans. When the angels saw human women, they took a human form themselves in order to mate with the women. The resulting offspring, the Nephilim, were a race of giants, demonic and tyrannical. When speaking of a near-death incident one might say, My guardian angel saved me!" The phrase applies to a human when one is present and to an angel when one is not. Equally, Angel of Death" applies to the angel that God sent to kill the Egyptians holding Moses and his people hostage and to hospital nurses who kill patients in the dead of night.

So is it this duality that appeals to Banksy when he stencils rats, monkeys, and angels? Is it the age-old conflict between the oppressed and the oppressors that leads Banksy to root for the underdog " the rat that wins the race through national recognition, the monkey that ends up in charge, and the angel who finds redemption? Perhaps these symbols reflect Banksys optimism that everything has a positive side. Of course, they could just as easily reflect Banksys pessimism that everything has a dark side. Or perhaps, like the stenciled man in Banksys Boring", this analysis is simply trying to impart meaning where none exists.

Banksy's Laptop Decals

Banksy is an urban street artist whose true identity is still veiled and shrouded in secrecy. For many, the name invokes strong emotions. Banksy himself has said that his work is banned in many places because it does not profit any large corporation.

To Banksy and his supporters, advertisements stenciled on the sides of buses are a worse urban blight than anything he has ever painted on a formless wall. For some he and his cutting-edge urban stencil art are almost godlike, but to others he represents everything that is wrong with the world today. How can one man, one artist, evoke such strong and diametrically opposed views?

Destroy Capitalism by Banksy

Defacement of Public Property?

For one thing, much of what he does is, technically, illegal and this takes up much of biography of Banksy graffiti. He has seldom accepted an award or openly attended any event held in his honor because police are gene rally at such events, just waiting to arrest him on charges of vandalism, trespassing, or defacement of public property.

He himself has remarked that it's a sad state of affairs that the best photos of his work are often the ones the police take. Even so, Banksy has his fans"legions of them. His fans believe that what the artist has to say, the mirror that his art holds up to the world, is worth far more than charges of defacing property. Besides, what is defacement to one person may be high art to another.

The proof of this can be found in the fact that several of Banksy's works"many of which have been condemned by various city councils"have sold at auction for as much as much as half a million dollars each. Several communities now protect Banksy urban graffiti art. And in communities where the average citizen has been allowed to vote on whether a particular piece of Banksy urban art is to be destroyed or not, in virtually every instance the vote has been to keep it. In almost every case the average citizen, when given the choice, votes to retain Banksy's urban graffiti art.

No Ball Games

Laptop Decals

The good news is that virtually any piece of Banksy artwork is available as a long-lasting vinyl decal for laptop and notebook computers. That means there are more than 700 different Banksy prints available as computer decals. Laptop decals are designed to be placed on the non-screen side of the laptop's lid, making the decal visible when the laptop is closed as well as when the cover is raised, giving the laptop a unique and personalized appearance.

A Banksy laptop decal can give any laptop a unique look, and a Banksy decal says something about the person who owns it. A Banksy decal stands for independent, free-thinking, and anti-establishment sentiments. A Banksy laptop sticker allows a laptop to stand out, to be unique, and to express a certain unique personality. A Banksy laptop decal is generally non-permanent and can be removed if necessary.

Many Banksy decals come with the Apple logo; this logo frequently replaces one of the focal points of Banksy's original artwork. For example, in the iconic painting Girl with Balloon, the Apple logo oftentimes replaces the balloon. In the Banksy painting of the monkey blowing up a bunch of bananas, the bananas are replaced by the logo. These Apple decals can generally be purchased in several different sizes, depending on whether they will be applied to a laptop, a desktop, or even a car window.

Purchasing Laptop Decals

Banksy laptop decals are easily obtainable online and may even be found at certain brick-and-mortar establishments. When shopping online, comparison shopping may be wise, as decals vary slightly from maker to maker and prices can vary considerably. Most vinyl decals can be purchased in the default black and white or in a wide range of customer-preferred colors. Many shops will actually produce a Banksy decal to a specific customer-demanded size.

For many people Banksy represents one of the last vestiges of freedom and individuality in a world that is becoming ever more conformist. Banksy's art is sardonic, sarcastic, and almost always anti-establishment. Owning a Banksy decal for a laptop is the artistic equivalent of giving the world the middle finger over and over while at the same time automatically sifting out others who share the same worldview.

Death of a Phone Booth

Melding sculpture and graffiti, Banksy elevated an ordinary London phone booth into a work of art. The dark red booth, appearing overnight in Soho in 2006, seemed to have been the object of a psychotic killer's rage. In a classic case of overkill, the booth was thrown from its feet, bent in half, and pick-axed to ensure its eternal silence. The innocent corpse lay bleeding on the sidewalk until some passersby found it the next morning. 

 Birth of a Phone Booth

Born in the early 1900s, shortly after the telephone gained popularity as a form of communication, the telephone booth first appeared in London near the Grand Central Railway. These jaunty red boxes provided the convenience of instant communication while traveling. The booths were large enough to accommodate an average-sized person. They provided protection from the elements, a certain amount of privacy by closing the door, and electric lighting for nighttime calls. They served the needs of the masses, providing telecommunications to anyone, regardless of whether or not an individual actually owned a phone himself. One could even use a phone booth to make a collect call if he had no change in his pockets with which to pay for his conversation.

Was the Banksy phone booth a statement on the decrease of such egalitarianism in society? After all, in order to make a phone call while traveling today, one needs to purchase a cell phone and a usage plan, and he must remain near an electrical outlet periodically to charge the phone. Banksy, artist for the masses may be upset that telecommunications are no longer for the masses.

Decline of a Phone Booth

With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the 1970s saw the removal of phone booths throughout the United States in order to accommodate callers who were wheelchair-bound. By the 1990s, the gaining popularity of cell phones rendered public phones obsolete. While some public phones still exist, their numbers are dwindling rapidly. Those that remain are often in a state of disrepair. The major phone companies that own and maintain the public phones find more profit in concentrating on the wireless communication market than in repairing antiquated technology. While phone booths once graced virtually every street corner, public office building and hotel, and were indeed part of the fabric of the culture, it is now a feat akin to finding buried treasure to find an operable phone booth.

Was the Banksy phone booth a statement on the demise of what had once been an iconic presence in art, entertainment and society? Superman used phone booths to change from being Clark Kent. The Beatles were famously filmed talking to one another in adjoining phone booths in the title sequence of "A Hard Day's Night." Alfred Hitchcock's tale of horror, "The Birds", would not be complete without its heroine running into a phone booth to escape her avian attackers. Dr. Who used phone booths for time travel. Perhaps Banksy is frustrated that the heroes and heroines must now duck behind the counter of the nearest Radio Shack in order to achieve their original purpose.

Rebirth of a Phone Booth

Coincidentally, the year 2006, the year in which Banksy created his phone booth, is also the year in which Time Magazine broke from its long-standing tradition of naming its Person of the Year. Instead of naming a world leader or a controversial figure, Time named You (collectively, not individually) as Person of the Year. Instead of a portrait, the cover featured a generic, white computer and keyboard. The caption proclaimed, "You control the Information Age. Welcome to your world." The magazine noted that its choice reflected the increase of information available on the World Wide Web. No longer would an individual need to go through the time and expense of hiring a publisher in order to have his words read around the world. A sense of community and collaboration created by Wikipedia, MySpace, YouTube and Facebook glorified the anonymous author. Theoretically, these venues permitted the average person to express his or her opinion. The world did not need major network news teams to dissect, digest and present news and information.

Was Banksy protesting the very anonymity of social media? Like most graffiti artists, Banksy takes ownership and responsibility for the works of art that he creates. The anonymity of these new forms of social media allows individuals to hide behind a screen name. They can pretend to be that which they are not. They can claim statements as fact with no basis in research. Instead of celebrating social media, perhaps Banksy was decrying the lack of personal contact and personal responsibility inherent in anonymity.

Stencil Revolution Banksy work is commonly referred to as "Murdered Phone Booth." Perhaps a more fitting title would be "Phone Booth Reborn." After all, once the phone booth ceased to be useful as an egalitarian means of communication, once it could no longer be used by society's heroes and heroines, once it no longer identified the person with which one communicates, Banksy gave it new life as a work of art.