Is This the First Wave of Banksy's Street-Art Oscar Campaign?
Street artist, notorious recluse, and Oscar-nominated documentarian Banksy may not be doing much in-person press as his Exit Through the Gift Shop gears up to take on the Academy Awards - but is he campaigning nonetheless? Take a look at the Oscar-themed mural that popped up this week in Los Angeles featuring a Banksy-esque Oscar statuette and an army of Storm Trooper guards/production assistants/talking heads.
The mural is located on La Brea Ave. in the same space as this similarly Oscar-themed Marion Cotillard piece from 2008 and depicts a Banksy figure-as-Oscar statuette looming at the end of a red carpet flanked by armed Storm Troopers. Cut-out Storm Troopers also line the rooftop, staring down passersby.
For argument's sake, let's say this is an authentic Banksy work. What is he trying to say? That the Academy Awards and the media are run by an evil empire of faceless, mechanical thugs? (Surely not!) That his Best Documentary Oscar is in the bag? (Fingers crossed!) More likely: This is the nightmare scenario in which Exit Through the Gift Shop wins the Oscar and Banksy risks trapping himself in the gilded prison of mainstream success. In other words, it's Banksy's best explanation for why he won't be showing up Oscar night but instead will probably be watching from afar, secret identity intact, keeping it real.
What do you think, keen-eyed street art-watchers? Is Banksy declaring himself, or is someone (* cough * Mr Brainwash * cough *) sending Banksy a message?
[Update: The consensus seems to be that this is the work of Mr. Brainwash. In which case, questions still abound: What's the intention, and does Banksy approve?]
(Click images for high res)
Subscribe to the new Movieline on YouTube
Comments
It's on Thierry's building. It's where Thierry's "murals" always are. Thierry is French. So is Marion Cotillard. I don't know why this is so hard to figure out. Thierry = MBW
It's not like Banksy’s never messed with someone else's stuff without permission before.
As Jeez said, this is a Mr Brainwash piece. This doesn't have the hand of Banksy in it, whatsoever. These same Storm Troopers were present at the MBD Art Basel show in FL.
This most defiantly does not have a Banksy feel to it. I do, however, feel that it is a Mr. Brainwash piece, and that he is commenting that through his footage, Banksy got an Oscar.
It's signed as Mr. Brain Wash. Check the base of the statue. No need to guess.
If this is Bansky, then I'm Scorsese.
It's MBW. But the real question is -- is MBW really Banksy?
You guys are so cute. MBW is fake. Didn't you SEE the movie?
Exactly.
are mr.brainwash and banksy not the same person??? was just another of banksy's stunts!
Strange, I think that I have already read this artile elsewhere
if MBW is banksey then what happend at disneyland??
but yea i dount think banksey has a hand in this one. i really want to meet banksey even if its just his man behind a monkey mask.
Whoever wrote this article is a complete idiot! This makes me mad. Talk about jumping on the bandwagon.
You got a really useful weblog I have been right here reading for about an hour. I’m a newbie and your good results is very considerably an inspiration for me.