Banksy's first Film Debut

Everyone in the contemporary art community knows of or has heard of Banksy. The graffiti/pop artist is one of the most infamous artists in the world today. Some may call his work "vandalism," others consider him a genius - but he definitely knows how to bring public awareness to his art not only because of his images but also because of the powerful social messages they convey.

Banksy is most well-known for spraying/painting his art on the side of buildings, chain fences, and in other public spaces. Bansky once wrote, "I've wandered round a lot of art galleries thinking, 'I could have done that.' " Banksy believed that these "galleries were just a trophy cabinets for a handful of millionaires, the public never has any real say in what they see." This quote from Banksy really brings you back to why art is important. It's not only important for yourself, but to deliver a message to the general public - in Banksy's case, a social message to make people think about and change the world around them.

His artwork can be seen all over the world but I have unfortunately never seen one up close. It's because of this that I am so excited to see his first film, Exit Through The Gift Shop. The documentary will debut April 15th in Los Angeles and hopefully spread further so others can learn about this amazing artist. For more details check out the below links.

http://www.banksyfilm.com/

http://www.sourharvest.com/2010/03/31/banksys-first-film-to-finally-debut-in-la-on-april-16th/

[image http://www.benmautner.com/]

Inspirational Story of the Day

I think reading at least one inspirational story a day really helps to change perspectives and teach people (and me) what life is really all about. I came across this interesting article on Tonic.com about a LA based graffiti artist named Tony Quan. He was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, leaving every muscle in his body paralyzed except for his eyes. Using the latest technology and the support of the art community, "a group of artists created a gadget, costing about as much as an iPod Shuffle, that lets Quan continue making art using only his eyes."

Zach Lieberman, the inventor of the technology, tells NPR, "He can plot points. And from plotting points, create letters. And from creating letters, create words. And then color the words, shade the words, extrude them in 3-D, add different features."

Tonic.com also has a video of the device in action, which is truly remarkable.

http://www.tonic.com/article/paralyzed-graffiti-artist-draws-with-his-eyes-video/
[image tonic.com]

Check out this great MSN Video: Graffiti Room Undergoes Transformation

Check out this great MSN Video: Graffiti Room Undergoes Transformation

This Graffiti time lapse video is amazing! I think my favorite is the black and white room. The colorful tree added in at the end was a perfect touch. Check it out and would love to hear your thoughts on which one is your favorite room or video.