Bansky

A few weeks ago as I was driving down 7th Avenue I noticed a new pet shop.  It struck me as strange but just chalked it up to a new store.  It happens all the time.  Places come and go but generally pet shops aren't in such prime locations in the west village when there happens to already be quite a few.

My friend told me about the pop-up show by Banksy, the British graffiti artist on 7th Avenue in the pet shop and charcoal grill.  Aha.  That made more sense.  I have been meaning to get over since and finally did it today.  Unfortunately, the show comes down tomorrow.

Banksy's work is brilliant.  I am not a huge fan of graffiti art but this is a whole different thing.  The guy is seriously talented.  His drawings of rats and clever images drawn around areas of London make you want to cut the wall and put it in a frame to bring home and hang on your wall. 

The pop-up store is a funny slant on a pet store.  Bird cages with hot dogs and bologna, a rabbit sitting in
front of a make-up mirror getting primped, a chimp hanging out in front of a tv watching chimp movies, a tiger in the window with the tail flipping up and down and then you realize it is a fur coat.  Just clever.

Banksy is a cross between Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst combined with tagging, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.  Brilliant.

Attached is a drawing he did on Wooster Street in Soho.