Author: R.A.

A chronological Banksy retrospective
2003, Pranks, UK

Prank at Tate Britain. London, October 2003.

by R.A.

On 17 October, Banksy entered Tate Britain disguised as a pensioner and stuck one of his creations in a vacant slot on one of the gallery’s walls. After a few hours, the painting Crimewatch UK Has Ruined the Countryside For All of Us, crashed to the floor, and the stunt was discovered. In his own words:

“To actually go through the process of having a painting selected must be quite boring. It’s a lot more fun to go and put your own one up. It’s all about cutting out the middle man, or the curator in the case of the Tate. I’m kinda into the message that vandalising a painting with police tape is how a lot of people see the world these days. People don’t actually see the world with Constable’s eyes with hay and rivers any more. The amount of paranoia and fear about violent crime and paedophilia makes mine a more accurate drawing of the English landscape we actually live in.”

2003:10:17 - SA - UK - London - Tate - Police Line - Wall and piece p 169

The caption glued next to the painting read:

“This new acquisition is a beautiful example of the neo post-idiotic style. Little is known about Banksy whose work is inspired by cannabis resin and daytime television.”

Photo sequence from the incursion at Tate Britain:

Banksy at Tate Britain
Finding the slot
Hanging his work
Mission accomplished

Source: http://www.banksy.co.uk

2003, Exhibitions, UK

Turf War, London. July 2003

by R.A.

The show opened on 18 July and lasted for three days. Turf War featured a wide range of genres, techniques, and styles. It marked the beginning of a string of brilliant exhibitions with an approximate two-year interval: Turf War in 2003, Crude Oils in 2005, Barely Legal in 2006, Banksy vs. Bristol Museum in 2009, etc. The London art critics called the exhibition one of the most interesting of the year.

Photos: Jonny Baker, Mike Pickard, http://www.artofthestate.co.uk and Benny Goh. The name of the photographer for each photo is visible if you click on the photo.

ITV recorded this interview from the exhibitions—one of the few documented footage of a member of Team Banksy:

BBC Radio also interviewed “the same” Banksy at the Turf War exhibition:

The interview can be heard here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0gtsw3k

2003, Pranks, UK

Paints live animals. Somerset, July 2003

by R.A.

Banksy went to a farm in Somerset to spray-paint live animals for his upcoming Turf War exhibition in London. Animal rights activists chained themselves to the railings surrounding the farm. “The cattle are show cattle donated by the farmer, and he was happy to lend them,” said a spokeswoman for the exhibition.

Photos: “Wall and piece” and http://www.banksy.co.uk

2002, 2003, Street Art, UK

Street Art in UK. 2002 – 2003

by R.A.

Banksy focused on London in 2002 and 2003, but he also did a few pieces in Bristol and Brighton. The iconic work Pulp Fiction went up in 2002 on Old Street in Shoreditch, one of Banksy’s preferred areas in London. The Royal Guards in different areas of London are from the same period.

Pulp fiction
Bombhugger in Brighton

2003, UK

Anti-war demonstration, London. May 2003

by R.A.

Banksy participated at the big anti-Iraq war demonstration in London, where he distributed placards with different slogans written on them. One was, “I don’t believe in anything. I’m just here for the violence” .

2003, Exhibitions, Rest of the world

Semipermanent. Sydney, 2003

by R.A.

Semipermanent was an annual art festival held in Sydney, Australia. Banksy participated with a 12-metre panel. Melbourne’s Burn Crew, Dmote of Australia, 123Klan of France, and Shepard Fairey also attended.

Photos: Gary Trinh and Semi Permanent

2002, Exhibitions, UK

Santa’s Ghetto 02, London. December 2002

by R.A.

Santa’s Ghetto was a “squat art concept store” set up at Christmas each year in different locations around London. The Dragons Bar in Shoreditch hosted the first edition. There were only Banksy and Ben Eine artworks.

2002, Exhibitions, USA

Existencilism, Los Angeles. 19 July – 18 August, 2002

by R.A.

Banksy opened his first Los Angeles exhibition, Existencilism, at the 33 1/3 Gallery on 19 July 2002. The show was sponsored by Puma. The most important piece was a big ‘Stop ESSO’ painted on one of the walls.

19 July 2002 – Opening night Existencilism, Los Angeles. The Stop Esso in the background:

Photo: http://www.thebookla.com / Marc Goldstein

It was a selling exhibition, and Banksy sold quite a few multiple canvases, most of them in an edition of 5 and dated LA 2002 on the stretcher:

Some of the multiple canvases that were sold at Existencilism. Photos: Bonhams and Sotheby’s

EXISTENCILISM IN JAPAN. SEPTEMBER 2002

A month later, Banksy opened a reduced version of the Existencilism exhibition in Japan – Osaka (8-17 September) and Tokyo (13 – 24 September). Among other pieces, a Laugh Now on cardboard with the text in Japanese:

Laugh Now on cardboard. Photo: Sotheby’s

2002, Books

Banksy’s second book, Existencilism. London, 30 May 2002.

by R.A.

On May 30, Banksy released his second little black book, much heavier on rats than his first book. The book was launched with a street art show called Graffiti, Hostility and the Jubilee, which took place in a tunnel under the railway tracks connecting Clink Street and Bank End in Southwark, Central London.

UK Indymedia published a collage of photos from the event:

Collage: UK Indymedia

The book Existencilism

In his own words:

“Like most people I have a fantasy that all the little powerless losers will gang up together. That all the vermin will get some good equipment and then the underground will go overground and tear the city apart”