Bytes

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

If you don’t know who Banksy is, you must have in a coma for 30 years or living on Mars. He is the anonymous pommy street artist, activist and film director renowned for his dark and satirical public street art, mostly stencilling. Hi street art is challenging, often confronting, distinctive and makes one think. Some examples:

The latest Banksy development is that he has set up an online shop selling products including riot helmets turned into disco balls and the stab-proof vest he designed for Stormzy.

From:

https://www.dezeen.com/2019/10/21/banksy-online-store-gross-domestic-product/

Named Gross Domestic Product, the online shop officially opened on 17 October, just a few weeks after the artist announced the launch of his own merchandise line with a pop-up shop installation in Croydon, UK. Banksy claimed that he was forced to release the branded merchandise following legal action from an unnamed greeting-card company that was trying to "seize legal custody" of his name.

Products on sale range from as little as £10 for an empty spray paint can to £850 for the Union Jack stab-proof vest that British rapper Stormzy wore during his headline set at this year's Glastonbury festival and a non-functional clutch bag made from a brick. A print made in homage to late American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, a rug designed to look like the corpse of Tony the tiger and a ceiling mounted baby mobile with rows of novelty CCTV cameras attached to it are also on sale. The products each have tongue-in-cheek descriptions. For example the baby mobile is designed to "prepare your little one for the journey ahead – a lifetime of constant scrutiny both state sanctioned and self imposed".

Other products on sale include a clock printed with the trademark Banksy rat, and a tombstone made from a 230kg slab of Portland stone for "the person who has everything". The artist has also commercialised his well-known Girl with Balloon painting that was sent through a shredder at the moment of its auction sale last year, by making it into a tshirt with "fringing" as its bottom half. Other clothing items on sale include t-shirts taken from charity shops that have been vandalised by the artist with his own name printed in stainer ink, spray paint or oil stick.

Some of Banksy’s online shop items:

The t shirt references the artwork that was shredded by Banksy from a remote signal after sold at auction:

Funnily enough, art experts have opined that the picture shredded is worth far more than unshredded.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Quote for the Day

Aesop's Fables: The Horse and the Ass

Moral:

Better humble security than gilded danger.

A Horse and an Ass were travelling together, the Horse prancing along in its fine trappings, the Ass carrying with difficulty the heavy weight in its panniers.

"I wish I were you," sighed the Ass; "nothing to do and well fed, and all that fine harness upon you."

Next day, however, there was a great battle, and the Horse was wounded to death in the final charge of the day.

His friend, the Ass, happened to pass by shortly afterwards and found him on the point of death.

"I was wrong," said the Ass: "Better humble security than gilded danger"

Alternative version of the moral:

The folly, and the fate, of pride and arrogance. The mistake of placing happiness in any thing that may be taken away, and the blessing of freedom in a mean estate.

______________

The above also reminds me of a poem previously posted:

The Donkey

By G K Chesterton

When fishes flew and forests walked

And figs grew upon thorn,

Some moment when the moon was blood

Then surely I was born.

With monstrous head and sickening cry

And ears like errant wings,

The devil’s walking parody

On all four-footed things.

The tattered outlaw of the earth,

Of ancient crooked will;

Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,

I keep my secret still.

Fools! For I also had my hour;

One far fierce hour and sweet:

There was a shout about my ears,

And palms before my feet.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Quote for the dDay

"If you get into a mud wrestling match with a pig everyone gets dirty and the pig likes it."

- Howard Dean,

2004 Presidential candidate, Governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003, Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2005 to 2009, works as a political consultant and commentator.