like pretty much everyone else in the county who owns an lcd soundsystem album, i went to see the banksy show this weekend. i actually stood in a line on a hot afternoon just to see some art, which you’d be hard pressed to get me to do under any other circumstances.

some people seem to be judging the whole event a little harshly for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the huge live elephant he used as a canvas. on that, i have to say i think it’s an over-reaction. i know we can’t ask the elephant’s opinion, but it was just some paint. i’d stand around painted and just eat all day if it was for a cool art piece by someone i respected. and what does it say that the whole point of the piece was to jab at ‘the elephant in the room’ of all the terrible things that go on in the world like war and starvation, and instead of being moved to action or at least discussion by the art piece, most people’s instinct is to just bitch about a poor elephant’s mistreatment by being kept in a room with a little bit of paint?

i also don’t want to fall prey to the other problem, which is only discussing the elephant piece, and say the art was extremely clever and well done. while some might criticize it for being gimmicky or too much like ironic t-shirt design, i’d argue the opposite, that this is a person with a clear and focused idea he’s trying to communicate, and he does in in a direct and impactful way. check on flickr, the pieces are very clean and well-designed, but they all make you think right away. i much prefer some pop-art with political or social overtones than classic paintings you have to be an art history major to decode for proper understanding, but i guess that speaks more to my lack of education than the relative mertis of art styles. all i guess i’m getting at is that if his aim is to be thought-provoking through beautiful images, it worked on me and i’m glad i went to see it.