Banksy x Os Gemeos Outdoor Gallery - The Most Boring of All 'Better Out Than In'

The Banksy x Os Gemeos Outdoor Gallery is a fascinating piece.  Based on the likes that this installation piece got, this was the most popular out of all of Banksy's pieces in New York.  It seems that this installation was hugely popular because these are awesome paintings and people wanted the paintings so bad. However, even with all its desirability and popularity, it also seems like the most boring of all Banksy's New York street pieces.

Why is that?  Because even if Banksy is bringing the gallery outdoors, it still has all the elements of a gallery.  The lines.  The 'gallery space'.  The security guards.  There are rules to this outdoor gallery and folks are not allowed to go behind the paintings or even touch them.  Touching paintings might sound strange in a gallery, but not on the street.  This installation is the most boring, because the element of crowd surprise and interaction is taken away from this piece.  Even if its outside, the street has been removed from the street art.

Its boring.  Like any art gallery.

The Banksy x Os Gemeos Outdoor Gallery has now been taken down.  If you're not bored already, click the jump for more pics

THIS is Why Banksy Does Not Reveal His Identity

Funny video here where a man impersonates Banksy at Banksy x Os Gemeos Outdoor Gallery Exhibition.

This is hilarious, not because the dude is an obvious fraud dressed up in a Matlock-mustache and dark blue hoody saying 'Banksy'.  But because the crowd is what makes this funny, and as soon as the dude starts pretending to be Banksy, people start believing he is Banksy.

Every wonder why Banksy doesn't reveal his identity? (and, in M&F's opinion, why other street artists shouldn't either)?  To escape god-awful mundane questions like the ones Banksy starts to get as soon as he gets identified.  

The fans are stereotypical of the art world and the art world is boring as hell.  At the highest level, Banksy is art's only savior, at this point. 

Banksy Didn't Pay Shit (It Was a 'Gift' from the Gallery)

The other day, M&F posted an article with information from the NY Post reporting that Banksy paid $50,000 to rent his outdoor gallery space for 5 days.

Well, today Banksy addresses that report on his website.  Banksy says: "Contrary to reports on fox news this piece was donated for free by the owner".

Right on.  So who owns the property?  Turns out the 'owner' is Pace Gallery in New York.

Not sure if this tidbit of info will clarify things or stir it up again?

BanksyNY - Do You Have Purpose?

The crowd interactions seem to bring Banksy's installations to life.  Click the jump to see more New Yorkers getting down with the Banksy x Os Gemeos Outdoor Gallery Installation.

Banksy x Os Gemeos - Bringing the Street Art Gallery Outside

Banksy just announced that this new street art gallery exhibition is legit, and it is a collaboration between Banksy and Os Gemeos.

Over the audio recording, Banksy points out that Os Gemeos are well-respected graffiti writers who are not used to having their art painted over . . . "until now", the recording adds.

Today's collab between Banksy and Os Gemeos also the same imagery previously printed on the cover of New York's Village Voice (along with a Banksy interview).

So what is this piece about?  Banksy is making a huge point.  Street art is not about galleries, or prints, or being inside at all.  Street art is about the streets, and when you bring all those other 'gallery' factors outside, it just looks and feels ridiculous.  Even the 'free' water at Banksy's exhibition is green and rancid, indicating how Banksy feels about the gallery scene.

About this piece, Banksy says: People ask why I want to have an exhibition in the streets, but have you been to an art gallery recently? They're full.

Truly, Better Out Than In~

Banksy Gets Beaten to the Punch!

Today, it seems that Banksy might have got beaten to the punch, or at least to the launch.  Before Banksy released today's piece on his website, these photos of this collaboration between Banksy and Os Gemeos got discovered on the streets of New York.

Not sure if this is indeed Banksy, or not.  Seems like a strange way for Banksy to display a piece?  

Os Gemeos Billboard Bombing

The Brazilian graffiti twins known as Os Gemeos are some of the biggest graffiti/street artists in the world, and in M&F's opinion, these guys also do some of the best indoor work by any street artists around.

But here is some old school straight billboard bombing on La Brea, with the back of the billboard painted Gemeos.

Dig it.  Stay up!

Os Gemeos Graffiti

Os Gemeos are so impressive.  Not only have they achieved tremendous success in the fine art world and gallery setting, but unlike many other artists who have achieved fame and fortune, Os Gemeos have never turned their back on the streets.

Os Gemeos might be best known for their recognizable characters, but here is a traditional letter based graffiti piece from Os Gemeos with a character collaboration from Rime.

The Best Graffiti Mural EVER

Speaking of 'Best Of', this is M&F's favorite graffiti mural of all time.  Long time followers of the blog probably remember, but this wall has a storied history.

The mural first popped up on Fairfax a couple of years ago.  The wall showcased traditional graffiti burner pieces from some of the top graffiti artists and biggest names in the entire world all set against the impeccable background of Retna's hieroglyphic lettering.  Everyone should recognize the artist's names who painted on this wall including LA's own MSK members Retna, Revok, Rime, Norm and Saber, as well as a piece from the amazingly talented Brazilian twin duo, Os Gemeos.  Like icing on the cake, the yellow trim of the building and window frames makes the wall pop like no other.

This wall is an incredible piece of art on its own, but it took on a life of its own in the spring of 2011 when a private contractor hired by the city of LA to buff graffiti broke into this fenced yard by removing the gate from its hinges.  They then began painting over this mural, and they buffed over the entire left hand side by the time the building owner showed up and called the cops on the tresspassing buffman.  The owner wanted the graffiti on the wall, and was pissed off by the unsanctioned buffing.  M&F captured the ordeal with a post entitled 'Oh Shit! Now You Fucked Up!'.

Threats of lawsuits inspired the city to try and right the wrong, and the buff team was sent back to the same spot a day later to paint back over their buff with paint removing paint.  M&F got exclusive action shots of the buffman buffing himself, and those following the drama were skeptical that this plan would work.

However, the removal of the buff paint did work, for the most part, and the original graffiti mural has returned.  Its a bit faded, but still riding.

So, not only is this one of the coolest looking murals ever, but it also has one of the coolest stories of any graffiti mural anywhere.  Here is a closer look at the mural, beginning with full shots and close-ups of Rime's character pieces.

Dig it. Stay up~

Thankful Graffiti

Oh yeah.  M&F got swept up hanging out with friends and almost didn't get around to posting this today.  One more thing to be thankful for.  This is probably our favorite graffiti wall ever, and its on Fairfax.

With a background from Retna and graffiti pieces from Saber, Norm, Os Gemeos, and Revok.

Collectible Coins

Have you found any money?

Os Gemeos- Flat Top Train Car

Os Gemeos at MOCA (pt 2/2)

So many gorgeous pieces . . .

Os Gemeos at MOCA (pt 1/2)

The Os Gemeos installation was one of the highlights of the show.

The Artists at MOCA

Buffman Buffing Himself (pt 1/2)

It looks like the shit hit the fan, and in an unprecedented move, the Graffiti Removal Buff Squad returned to the spot that they buffed yesterday on Fairfax, and tried to remove their buff paint from the mural.

Oh Shit! Now You Fucked Up!!

There are some walls you just don't touch--and especially when the owner wants the art on the building. The buffman fucked up by taking down this particular piece on Fairfax that featured some of the top graffiti and street artists in the world, especially since they took the fence down and broke an entering to get in. Click the jump for more

Keep Smilin'

Framed So Well

New street art across from The Hundreds on Rosewood.

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