some sort of Banksy retrospective
Banksy’s focus is still in London with a few a pieces appearing in Bristol and in Brighton. The iconic piece Pulp Fiction goes up in 2002 on Old Street in Shoreditch, one of Banksy’s preferred areas in London. The Royal Guards in different areas in London are from the same period.
Banksy distributes placards with “I don’t believe in anything. I’m just here for the violence” at a May Day anti-war demonstration in London.
Banksy is definitely best known for his street art. But, during the first years of the decade of 2000 Banksy’s canvases are starting to sell well. Fairly soon the prices hit six figures when the initial collectors sell them at Christies, Sotheby’s and Bonhams. Here are a selection of early originals, mostly oil and acrylic on canvas.
Semipermanent is an annual art festival held in Sydney, Australia. Banksy participated with a 12 meter panel. Melbourne’s Burn Crew, Dmote of Australia, 123Klan of France and Shepard Fairey also participated.
Photos: Gary Trinh and Semi Permanent
Santa’s Ghetto was a “squat art concept store” set up at Christmas, each year in different locations around London. The 2002 edition was held at The Dragons Bar in Shoreditch.
Banksy held his first Los Angeles exhibition, “Existencilism”, at the 33 1/3 Gallery. It opened on 19 July. Some of his most iconic work saw the light, such as “Love is in the air”, “Queen Victoria” and “Laugh Now”. A few years later he would be back in LA big time with Barely Legal.
Banksy’s second book sees the light in May 2002 and is heavier on rats than his first. “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”
