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Banksy: The Man Behind The Wall (2012)

by Will Ellsworth-Jones(Favorite Author)

3.43 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1250025737 (ISBN13: 9781250025739)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

St. Martin's Press

review 1: If you are completely uninformed about the art world and read this book without any critical eye whatsoever, “Banksy: The Man Behind the Wall” is an entertaining, well-researched profile of a talented art phenomenon. If you are remotely versed in the visual arts, it can be a damned irritating read.There's an incident described at the beginning of this book which lets us know what we are in for. Banksy sneaks into a series of “establishment” galleries and hangs his own defaced painting, to see how long it stays up, and (in the mind of the author) announce his challenge to the established art world. We are meant to admire Banksy's gutsy attacks on stuffy galleries everywhere, and his ability to preserve his anonymity surrounded by guards and CCTV cameras. Anyone who ... moreis versed in art galleries, however, knows that such stunts by disgruntled artists and wags are actually quite common (Tom Green did it on his show a decade before), not not particularly momentous. It's hard to say whether Will Ellsworth-Jones is a disingenuous art novice who has bought the Banksy hype, or a skilful journalist hamstrung by a vengeful and controlling subject. In order to break the wall of silence surrounding Banksy, the author makes compromises to please Banksy's inner circle which undermine his ability to tell Banksy's story. Despite the fact that Banksy has been convincingly unmasked by other sources, Ellsworth-Jones tells us he has promised his interview subjects that he will omit any evidence of Banksy's identity or background. The author also repeatedly falls back on the party line of Banksy challenging “white box galleries” and delivering art to the people, parroting artist's statements which are laced with class resentment and ignoring that the high prices his art commands guarantees that originals are forever out of reach of the public. This is a book which will teach you to admire Banksy the artist, and despise Banksy the businessman. The lengths Banksy has gone to control the authentication of his art, and thus limit what can be sold, allow him to exert an unprecedented amount of power over those who own his work. It is even implied that he is able to use that influence to force his associates to keep their silence, lest their valuable Banksy prints be declared worthless. It's a pretty hypocritical stance for someone who built his career disregarding the personal property rights of others.Most unforgivable of all is the author's unwillingness to push his subjects further and ask the questions the Banksy fanboys take for granted. If the appeal of Banksy is that he could be anyone, why is his management so emphatic about portraying him as “very working class?” Why is Banksy so intent on sabotaging the sale of any recovered wall art, especially given his position that such works are not intended to remain in the public eye forever? Why does Banksy need the approval of the graffiti community, given the fact that his practices and subject matter have more in common with fine artists than amateur vandals? Ellsworth-Jones is oddly silent on these topics.Despite its lack of thoughtful analysis and a tendency to tow the Banksy party line, this book is an informative look at the inner workings of the Banksy brand and the lengths his team goes to maintain it.
review 2: A highly informative read that looks into the work and history of high-profile graffiti artist Banksy. The book almost reads like an essay or dissertation; it is obvious that Ellsworth-Jones did his research before writing. I love that he even went on a 6-hour walking tour around London to see Banksy's works (or what's left of them) in person. As a graffiti appreciator, I enjoyed learning what goes on behind the scenes of Banksy's iconic pieces, as well as the insightful details about his journey as an artist. less

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