(The Grin Reaper by Banksy)

Banksy is an anonymous graffiti artist from the UK whose work has become world famous and his studio works now command enormous prices in auction.

His stencil and spray-paint works first started to appear on the walls of buildings in and around Bristol and London in the early 90s.

Soon they spread to other areas of the UK.

The mainly positive reaction that he got to his work must have encouraged him to go further afield. Most famously, marking the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and, even more audaciously, on the Dividing Wall in Bethlehem.

However, if you are making humorous or serious, social and political statements then there are other places to make them besides walls and studios, and Banksy’s been there.

Urban graffiti artist? Maybe it should be more “Mission Impossible” artist with some of the stunts Banksy has pulled over the last few years

London and Bristol Zoos

Unfortunately there are no photographs available, but it was reported in the British media, that he had somehow got into the penguin enclosure at London Zoo and painted in seven foot (170cm) high letters

“We’re bored of fish”

Similarly he had managed to get into the elephant enclosure at Bristol Zoo and painted

“I want out. This place is too cold. Keeper smells. Boring, boring, boring.”

The British Museum

During normal opening hours, with a false beard, he got into the British Museum and amongst the exhibits placed a hoax “caveman” relic on the wall with the title “Early man venturing towards the out-of-town hunting grounds”.

Carefully imitating the explanatory cards at the side of other exhibits, he described the fake stone-age relic as:

“This finely preserved example of primitive art dates from the Post-Catatonic era.

“The artist responsible is known to have created a substantial body of work across South East of England under the moniker Banksymus Maximus but little else is known about him.

“Most art of this type has unfortunately not survived. The majority is destroyed by zealous municipal officials who fail to recognise the artistic merit and historical value of daubing on walls.”

It was reputedly on the wall for three days before being spotted by museum staff.

The BBC reported “The British Museum praised the way his rock was hung

“It looked very much in keeping with the other exhibits; the explanatory text was quite similar”

A spokesperson for Banksy said he sneaked the work into the museum on Monday and it was found on Wednesday.

He ran a competition on his website for fans to have their photographs taken with the rock, offering a shopping trolley as a prize.

The British Museum is now the owner of this work which Banksy has donated to the museum and which they loan to him for exhibitions.

Disneyland

Banksy visited the Disneyland theme park, California.

According to his spokeswoman, as a stunt to highlight the plight of terror suspects in the controversial US controlled detention centre Guantanamo, in Cuba

The inflatable handcuffed figure, dressed in prison overalls and black hood was placed inside the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride.

The figure was in place for about ninety minutes before staff spotted it and closed the ride to remove it.

The Galleries

Banksy has managed to smuggle his own works into the Louvre in Paris, London’s Tate and four of New York’s top museums.

“My sister inspired me to do it,”

“She was throwing away loads of my pictures one day and I asked her why. She said “it”s not like they’re going to be hanging in the Louvre’.”

Taking up the challenge, Banksy said: “I thought why wait until I am dead?”

The Louvre

Although unable to locate a copy of the picture, it was reported (Reuters) at the time that at a third attempt Banksy managed to install a “smiley faced Mona Lisa” in the Louvre in Paris.

The Tate

Disguised in a trench coat, hat and false beard he smuggled in a picture of a rural landscape surrounded with police exclusion tape. The explanatory card read:

“Banksy 1975. Crimewatch UK Has Ruined The Countryside For All Of Us. 2003. Oil on Canvas”.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

In the Great American Painting Wing “You Have Beautiful Eyes”

The Museum of Modern Art, NYC

In the third floor walkway: “Discount Soup Can” in the style of Andy Warhol.

The Brooklyn Museum

In the Great Historical Paintings wing: “Soldier with Spray-Can”

American Museum of Natural History

In the Hall of Biodiversity: “Withus Oragainstus.”

He managed to smuggle and install the four works in the American galleries on the same day!

When asked how he managed to install them under the noses of the staff, he replied that a couple of accomplices had diverted the staff.

“Obviously, they’ve got their eye a lot more on things leaving than things going in, which works in my favour.”

The “Punking” of Paris Hilton.

In August 2006 Banksy bought a copy of the socialite’s debut CD, a CD which was regarded by some as not being too excessive in talent.

He took it back to his studio and began altering the cover and inserts.

Amongst some of the changes, she became topless and gained a dogs head.

New comments were added

The graffiti site Artofthestate said:

“The CD itself contains a sampled track with titles such as “Why Am I Famous”, What Have I Done” and “What Am I For” listed on the cover. The remixing is credited as Banksy and DM – a reference to Danger Mouse who is the producer behind the second Gorillaz album, the Grey Album and Gnarls Barkley.” 

The BBC News website reported that “a spokeswoman for Banksy said he had doctored 500 copies of her debut album Paris in 48 record shops across the UK.

“He switched the CDs in store, so he took the old ones out and put his version in.”

But he left the original barcode so people could buy the CD without realising it had been interfered with.

His spokeswoman said he had tampered with the CDs in branches of HMV and Virgin as well as independent record stores.

He visited cities including Bristol, Brighton, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and London, she added.

A spokesman for HMV said the chain had recovered seven CDs from two Brighton shops but was unaware that other locations were affected.

No customers had complained or returned a doctored version, he said.

“It’s not the type of behaviour you’d want to see happening very often,” he said.

“I guess you can give an individual such as Banksy a little bit of leeway for his own particular brand of artistic engagement.

“Often people might have a view on something but feel they can’t always express it, but it’s down to the likes of Banksy to say often what people think about things.

“And it might be that there will be some people who agree with his views on the Paris Hilton album.”

A spokesman for Virgin Megastores said staffs were searching for affected CDs but it was proving hard to find them all.

“I have to take my hat off – it’s a very good stunt,” he added.”

Don’t go rushing out to the record stores to try and buy one because all copies have long since gone from the shelves.

It is alleged that the first one offered on eBay sold for £750.

How he did it – Banksy’s own videos

The Museum:

Paris Hilton:

[youtube= http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IqQYVKSmugc]

The other articles in this series on The Work of Banksy are:

• Urban Graffiti as Art: Banksy
• Banksy in Bethlehem: Art and the Barrier Between Two Nations
• Banksy Storms New Orleans: Banksy vs the Grey Ghost
• Urban Graffiti Artist Banksy Opens a Pet Shop
• Banksy Gunrat Will Double Value of British Pub
• Banksy: How to Make Millions with Spraycan and Stencil
• Two New Banksy Graffiti Artworks Appear in London