Better Out Than In: Banksy in New York

I have used a number of Bansky photographs to illustrate my blog posts and SlideCasts.
Banksy was in New York in October and I was delighted to read Alison Young‘s take on his Better Out Than In visit.
There are lots of Creative Commons images on Flickr that share the October visit. I liked carnagenyc’s photographs and include some of them here. (More about carnagenyc here.)
There is a detailed Wikipedia post about Better Out Than In. A number of the New York works created during the residency have been defaced.

Alison shares Banksy’s artist’s statement in her post:

Banksy asserts that outside is where art should live, amongst us. And rather than street art being a fad, maybe it’s the last thousand years of art history that’s a blip, when art came inside in service of the church and institutions. But art’s rightful place is on the cave walls of our communities where it can act as a public service, provoke debate, voice concerns, forge identities.

The world we live in today is run – visually at least – by traffic signs, billboards and planning committees. Is that it? Don’t we want to live in a world made of art, not just decorated by it?

I wondered what sport might learn from this approach. I Imagine neighbourhoods having the opportunity to meet teachers, coaches and athletes on a regular basis … Midnight Basketball meets Football United meets Sport Matters.

Keegan Hamilton of The Village Voice wrote about Banksy’s New York visit. Keegan suggests:

The fleeting nature of Banksy’s art is part of its appeal … a new piece each day in New York “turns the city into a giant game of treasure hunt.” Each work is a precious commodity that can disappear overnight. He (Banksy) wants them to be discovered in alleys next to dumpsters, not displayed in a sterile museum.

In my more fanciful moments I do imagine communities hosting diverse learning opportunities. Everyone shares their energy, experience and expertise. Creative and performing arts, play, games and sport can do this … and make micro open learning episodes a ‘normal’ part of our community experience.

Photo Credits

Banksy (carnagenyc, CC BY-NC 2.0)
Banksy (carnagenyc, CC BY-NC 2.0)
Banksy (carnagenyc, CC BY-NC 2.0)