Graffiti Art -- Reanne

http://www.banksy.co.uk/       

          Banksy is an anonymous graffiti artist whose pieces portray political and social messages. His stencil street art has been displayed in numerous cities throughout the world. 

          April 2010 marked the month of the premiere of his first film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, in San Francisco and five of his pieces appeared in various parts of the city. Then in May 2010, seven new Banksy pieces appeared in Toronto and Ontario, Canada. At the same time as the premiere of Exit through the Gift Shop in Royal Oak, Banksy left his mark in several places in Detroit and Warren. Shortly after the Detroit piece showing a little boy holding a can of red paint next to the words "I remember when all this was trees" was excavated by the 555 Nonprofit Gallery and Studios. They claim that they do not intend to sell the work but plan to preserve it and display it at their Detroit gallery. 

          In late January 2011, Exit Through The Gift Shop was nominated for a 2010 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. Banksy released a statement about the nomination, where he said, ""This is a big surprise... I don't agree with the concept of award ceremonies, but I'm prepared to make an exception for the ones I'm nominated for. The last time there was a naked man covered in gold paint in my house, it was me." Leading up to the Oscars, Banksy blanketed Los Angeles with street art.

The statement on Banksy's website states: "You're welcome to download whatever you wish from this site for personal use. However, making your own art or merchandise and passing it off as ‘official’ or authentic Banksy artwork is bad and very wrong." I'm not sure if this is just an example of Banksy's sense of humor... but it seems ironic that they would scold against such a thing when most of his work consists of adding something to some other artist's work. 

http://www.banksy.co.uk/

Response on collections -- Reanne

          As we discussed in class, people collect various things for various reasons. Having a collection of certain things can serve as a way to preserve memories, to protect family heirlooms, or to make a profit some day. Those are just a few examples of the numerous reasons that people have collections.
          Popular objects for collection are rocks and stones, coins, stuffed animals, baseball cards, movies, CDs, paintings, figurines, photographs, etc… An individual really can have a collection of anything that they value and appreciate.

          As a young child, I used to collect gems and crystals from different places that I traveled. This included both rocks that I found and ones that I bought in a shop. I kept them in a clear plastic box on display because I liked their shapes and shininess. I donated them to my church when I was about 14 years old, since we were moving and I was trying to consolidate and grow up.

          More recently, in terms of collections, I guess I could say that I collect DVDs and CDs (original and mixed/burnt) since I have so many. But this isn’t a collection that holds any special meaning to me. I do, however, have about ten photo albums, two scrap books, and a huge box filled with all of the pictures I’ve ever taken. These pictures include old family photos, vacation pictures, scenery, friends, etc… My picture collection does mean a lot to me in the sense that every photograph has a different memory—each picture reminds me of a certain person, a particular event, a special moment in my history. Vacation pictures, for example, remind me of the fun experiences I’ve shared with my parents over the years. Old family photos remind me of where I came from, and allow me to see the people I’ve never met or who I have lost. There is always a story behind each photo, and it is worth remembering whether I personally recall the story, or if someone explains it to me from their point of view. 

Cousins in Sarasota, Florida- Summer 2010

Grandmother in Naples, Florida- Summer 2010

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France- Spring 2006

Beach in Florida- Summer 2010

Plane view- Summer 2010

Townhouse mates- Fall 2010-Spring 2011

My best friend of 14 years