The British street artist who goes by the nom de plume of Banksy has enjoyed quite a reputation in the mainstream media. His secret identity and his willingness to put his art up in public spaces, often without permission to do so, has no doubt contributed to his allure and notoriety. Taking on many aspects of modern society, Banksy’s art is often meant to provoke and poke fun at the powers that be. Here are a few samples:
(This one is one of many he did on the Isreali/Palestinian Separation wall.)
(This one was put up without permission in the British Museum, it is now part of the permanent collection.)
For your second post, I’d like you to comment on:
1. What is your reaction to Bansky’s pieces? What are they saying? Do you agree or disagree with them? Why?
2. Is graffiti art? Is tagging a building? Why do you think writers and artists often use pen names and go by alternate personas?
3. To what extent do you think it is important to put your work in the public?
Take a few minutes to articulate your ideas, then check in with what others had to say, and leave some comments.
Feel free to add to your blog in whatever way you want to, in terms of additional images, links, other thoughts you have (about the class, or otherwise). Or challenge yourself to put up something creative you have done personally, whether a song you wrote, a piece of art you created, a photo you took that you are proud of, or something else that allows you to express yourself.
Throughout the term, I encourage you to continue to make your blog your own. And since this is creative writing, feel free to share comments on authors and artists you have been inspired by.
