This Is Not a Photo Opportunity by Martin Bull

Author:Martin Bull
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PM Press
Published: 2014-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

TAKE THIS—SOCIETY!

Banksy is often at his most controversial when giving us sardonic takes on modern society, including sexuality, knife crime, our obsession with phones (both using them and hacking them), the fear of the “hoodie,” what opportunities our children may get in the future, and social stereotypes.

Both of his takes on sexuality shown here involve establishment figures—Queen Victoria (page 123) and two Policemen (page 125)—and both were usually quickly buffed by the authorities when on the streets in the early 2000s. I was fortunate enough to find a lovely Queen Victoria in his home town, Bristol, preserved because it was on a shop shutter, so wasn’t “on display” until the shop was closed and kids were nicely tucked up in bed.

One of his favourite spots was a wall above some shops on Old Street, in East London. For the majority of 2003 to 2006 it had his two versions of the “Pulp Fiction” theme on it (the second version is shown on page 150).

Throughout the rest of 2006 and most of 2007 the wall was pretty rubbish. Every time I went to the area I always checked it out, and every time I was disappointed. I almost stopped bothering. Fast forward to September 2007. I’m on the top deck (the best seat in the house for art and graffiti spotting) as my bus goes past the site. I half-heartedly turn to look at the wall (see page 132). OMG! I jump up, and stop the bus. I’m excited not just because it was brand new that day but because it has Banksy metaphorically written all over it. More importantly it was the first piece of street art for months to actually stop me in my tracks, to move me, and to make me fall in love again. The quality was amazing, and the subject poignant. For me, Banksy was back on top.

It was called “Old Street Cherub” and was done shortly after several children had suffered the consequences of gun crime. Banksy wrote, “Last time I hit this spot I painted a crap picture of two men in banana costumes waving handguns. A few weeks later a writer called Ozone completely dogged it and then wrote, “If it’s better next time I’ll leave it” in the bottom corner. When we lost Ozone (Ozone, twenty-one-year-old Bradley Chapman, was killed by a train whilst painting in January 2007) we lost a fearless graffiti writer and as it turns out a pretty perceptive art critic. Ozone—Rest In Peace.”

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