{"id":6064,"date":"2017-02-17T09:00:15","date_gmt":"2017-02-17T14:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=6064"},"modified":"2018-01-28T14:26:14","modified_gmt":"2018-01-28T19:26:14","slug":"taking-it-to-the-bank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=6064","title":{"rendered":"Taking It To the Bank"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 2017 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n

One night, while checking the recordings on my DVR, I noticed a title, Banksy Does New York.\u00a0 <\/em>Hmmm…spinoff of Debbie Does Dallas?<\/em><\/p>\n

Discovering that my children were the culprits, they were questioned…who the heck was Banksy?<\/p>\n

A world renowned contemporary\u00a0artist, Banksy got his start spraying graffiti on the streets of Bristol, England.\u00a0\u00a0Using a distinctive stenciling technique and dark humor, he has developed a cult-like following throughout the world.\u00a0 His pieces, pop up\u00a0randomly, sell for thousands of dollars and are\u00a0amassed by well-known art collectors.<\/p>\n

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But who<\/em> is Banksy?\u00a0Is he young or old?\u00a0 Is he Caucasian or of African or Chinese descent?\u00a0 He is short?\u00a0 Is he tall?<\/p>\n

Truth is…no one really knows.\u00a0 Despite his popularity, Banksy has managed to remain anonymous.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_6274\"Watching Banksy Does New York <\/em> with my children, I was fascinated.\u00a0 People scrutinize the internet in order to\u00a0find his pieces, located\u00a0on walls, streets, bridges and self-built prop pieces\u00a0in cities throughout the world, before they are removed or defaced.\u00a0 Some are just quick stencils on the sides of buildings.\u00a0 Some have moving parts or actually move through the city, but most have strong political and social statements and almost all are quite humorous.<\/p>\n

Imagine my delight to find that Banksy’s exhibit, Laugh Now<\/em>,\u00a0was being held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Amsterdam while I was visiting.\u00a0 No following websites or searching the streets to see a real authentic Banksy!\u00a0 <\/em>It was\u00a0across\u00a0town\u00a0at MOCO for the price of admission.<\/p>\n

Arriving at the museum, tickets in hand, we managed to avoid the lines that formed later in the day, thus proving what a major draw Banksy is.\u00a0 The museum, located inside Villa Alsberg, a townhouse dating back to 1904, is the perfect yang to Banksy’s ying..the old\u00a0meets the new.<\/p>\n

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\"IMG_6263\"The displays were split between the upper\u00a0and lower floors\u00a0of the museum, and was combined with an exhibit on Salvador Dali on the basement floor.\u00a0 Starting on the top floor, first stopping to admire his piece, Forgive Us For Our Trespassing\u00a0<\/em>on the\u00a0staircase landing,\u00a0we made our way through each of the themed rooms, Anti-capitalism, Laugh Now, Weaponry, There Is Always Hope and CCTV <\/em>highlighting some of his classics like Laugh Now and Girl with Balloon.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The\u00a0entrance floor showcased some rescued pieces from the rubble of demolished buildings and other sculptural pieces (Rat-With-Umbrella<\/em>, Cardinal Sin) <\/em>as well as one of his famous Mona Lisa pieces and a huge canvas of the famous painting Beanfield <\/em>which\u00a0has not been displayed anywhere since 2009.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_6262\"\u00a0\"IMG_6261\"<\/p>\n

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Finally, moving on to the basement level, we encountered a final, large-scale Banksy…<\/p>\n

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…as well as a small room with a film documenting his work around the world.<\/p>\n

The Salvadore Dali exhibit was also very interesting with many paintings and his famous Mae West Lips Sofa<\/em>, designed in 1937 and\u00a0inspired by the lips of actress Mae West.\u00a0 A large-scale melting clock is also on display…a tribute to his most famous painting, The Persistence of Memory.<\/em><\/p>\n

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A gift shop is also located on the lower lever of MOCO selling t-shirts, books and other Banksy and Dali memorabilia.<\/p>\n

If taking to the streets in search of a real Banksy is not in the cards for you, make sure to check out one of his exhibitions throughout the world.\u00a0 Definitely worth seeking\u00a0if you are a fan of graffiti art (like I am) and much easier than scouring the internet and walking through back alleys!\u00a0 But, if the hunt is for you and you are in the Los Angeles or London,\u00a0try and find some pieces still on the streets.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps\/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=206833562822512571407.00049d25df7020948a997<\/a>\u00a0 http:\/\/blog.saatchigallery.com\/finding-banksy-london<\/a><\/p>\n

Let\u00a0me know if you find any!<\/p>\n

Check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe for more pictures.<\/p>\n

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Banksy Exhibition at the Amsterdam Museum of Contemporary Art<\/strong><\/p>\n