He is best known for his graffiti art ut for his first official New York show, the British artist Banksy has turned his hand to moving figures.
The Village Pet Store And Charcoal Grill is set in a faux pet supplies shop, complete with actors playing assistants, and features animatronic fish-fingers swimming lazily around a goldfish bowl, hot dogs frolicking in terrariums, a monkey wearing headphones and watching television and an aged, bald and miserable Tweety swinging back and forth in his cage.
Nuggets features two bite-sized chicken pieces pecking at a single-serving carton of tomato sauce, watched over by mother hen. Big Cats shows what appears to be a leopard resting on a branch in a cage which, on closer inspection, turns out to be an ingeniously arranged fur coat.
Juxtaposed with the animatronic displays are real pet supplies, packages of luncheon meat and odd foodstuffs, such as quail eggs and pork titbits. The animatronic hot-dogs have reportedly sparked complaints from people unhappy about seeing two hot-dogs performing a sex act. Other passers-by have complained about the lack of space for the caged leopard and monkey. New York had been buzzing with rumours that the elusive artist was in town, as giant rat murals appeared throughout the city before the show's opening last week. In a written statement, Banksy said: "New Yorkers don't care about art, they care about pets. So I'm exhibiting them instead." He added: "I wanted to make art that questioned our relationship with animals and the ethics and sustainability of factory farming but it ended up as chicken nuggets singing."
Banksy's graffiti is so valuable that the surfaces on which it is daubed have been removed and the work sold. The actress Angelina Jolie spent £1 million on a work by the artist at a London auction last year. In this show, nothing is for sale and nothing is signed.
The New York Times said: "Banksy's statements, like much of his pranksterish oeuvre, should be taken with a grain of salt. But there's no denying the show's attention to comically pointed detail."
Stephan Ludwig, the chairman of Dreweatts auctioneers in London, thinks Banksy might have moved into sculpture "partly in response to his street work being taken off the streets and sold at auction".
The Village Pet Store is on show at 89 Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village, New York
He is best known for his graffiti art ut for his first official New York show, the British artist Banksy has turned his hand to moving figures.
Banksy's graffiti is so valuable that the surfaces on which it is daubed have been removed and the work sold. The actress Angelina Jolie spent £1 million on a work by the artist at a London auction last year. In this show, nothing is for sale and nothing is signed.
UK street photographer Greg Forbes spent two weeks in the USA in the weeks before the election of President elect Obama. As he travelled throughout the country he marveled at the Political Street Art which seemed to be everywhere, particularly in New York City. "It's a form of artistic impression that you just would not get in the UK. I can't imagine the public being motivated by impressions of our politicians being sprayed over our cities streets".In recognition of what he photographed, Greg has put together a limited edition print, which will be limited to 100 numbered copies. These measure 12" x 12" and record one of the most historic events in American History. The prints are priced at 100 pounds or $160 plus $15 shipping to the states. They will be sold from Greg's website www.urbanfoto.co.uk in the next few weeks. If you would like one in the meantime contact the photographer directly at greg4bs@aol.com
