“Chinese Business,” a Banksy spotted in Denver, Co.

Spent the week in Denver, Co, to catch up with friends and look around for transplant locations. It’s a vibrant city with an active nightlife and artistic community. There are marvelous public art pieces everywhere that inspire and challenge the mind. Above, you see me next to a Banksy discovered in the doorway of a forgotten building in downtown. Excellent commentary and execution. Probably a year or so old…

I’m going to go all art-speak-ey here…
He’s one of my favorite living artists because he is so unapologetic about his conscience. His art is there to remind and inspire us while never letting the dark goo of corruption or greed spread over the sunlight of innocence.  His work is brave without requiring others to cower to prove it’s bravery. It doesn’t stand on a wall and say “I’m better than you because I’m a Banksy;” it instead slips in under the radar, when you know that wall like the back of your hand and then one day in your morning commute- BAM- a reminder that police officers WILL search little girls or that the Fat Cats are the ruling class and the rest of us are rats… The simple, child-like innocence of doodling is changed with artful craftsmanship of his stencil work and spray. Note the faded side of the pants, not fully sprayed to the edge, this adds more of a round quality to the form not present into the dark empty eyes of the panda. Banksy is always very good at emphasizing what he knows is most important to focus on with the dark contrast of the door against those large panda black eyes. The flat quality of the top-spray versus the legs forces the eye up and into those cold eyes… It forces the control of the focus on those eyes. “SEE what it is I want you to see.” He is probably classically trained or autodidactic… I’m not sure… But who is but Banksy himself?

In other news, comics are still in the queue for a retroactive update, but I won’t be able to do any of that until I get back into town.