Banksy Does New York Page #5

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Like, I feel like...

Chasing these pieces is like...

It reminds me of when I was a teenager

chasing that new pair of Jordans

that came out Saturday morning.

It's like,

I wake up early to catch these

before they're defaced.

Welcome to ban-sky's

"better out than in."

This is more than just another art show.

Oh, no, wait.

That's exactly what it is.

This is a collaboration

between banksy and os gemeos,

the street-art twins from Sao paolo,

who are something akin

to folk heroes back home.

Come in and rest awhile.

There's a bench right here.

And over in the corner is a

water cooler full of cheap wine.

Please help yourself to a cup.

After all, it's an art-world tradition

to ignore the paintings

and gossip over drinks.

It's an art district.

It's the art district of New York.

- It's Chelsea.

- So, having them there,

positioned like right

under a bridge that,

you know, would otherwise go unlooked

and have that be the place to be

other than a gallery,

in itself, is fantastic

because it speaks to the entire show.

Just having people...

Have an exhibit outside

and having a high demand

and such a high interest in it,

that people would rather

be standing outside under this bridge

than in any of these lovely galleries

with their white walls, you know.

So, I did a search on artforum...

Not one single mention of banksy

or the residency

on all of artforum for a month.

I understand that that's not

what they want to cover,

but you'd think they'd do, like,

one little blurb,

like, "hey, guys, banksy's in New York.

We think he's silly."

The thing about the art world

is that they're inheriting

an artist with millions of fans,

a whole history, and a whole

language around them.

It's unfathomably more complex

than they can catch up.

And yet, they feel obliged

to put in their opinion.

Well, their opinion's

gonna be based off of,

like, "we missed this."

These pieces were inspired

by the occupy movement

that started in wall street in 2011.

But quite how exhibiting

these pictures under a bridge

in the heart of gallery row

is supposed to be doing

anything for the 99%,

we can't be sure.

I mean, he gets pretty

deeply serious sometimes,

like the piece with the horses.

I don't know what it is about banksy

that he... you know, he's not the first

and definitely won't be the last

street artist that there is,

but there's something

about his wittiness, I guess.

I mean, it's always a bit funny.

This is the first

"hipster scavenger hunt."

Every day, people wake up...

My first thing I Google,

other than my own

handsome pictures, is...

First thing I Google is,

"where's the new piece?

What's going on?"

You know who says he's a sellout?

Motherfuckers that ain't

making no motherfucking money

thinks he's a motherfucking sellout.

This wine's pretty strong.

I'm not sure if I can do this anymore.

I say hit them with the water Cannon.

It's the only time these

filthy idiots ever get a wash.

I mean, they should occupy

a bathtub maybe.

Can I get some more wine?

I walked into the store at 12:00.

He said to me, "you know,

there's a banksy over there,"

and I said, "who's banksy?"

Tell them the story.

I got a text from my cousin

about 10 after 9:00 Sunday morning.

It said, "you guys must be

pretty busy over there today,"

and I said, "why?"

He said, "well, there's a banksy

around the corner on dsw."

Kids were acting out.

They were putting their head

down on the standpipe.

Everybody was just so full

of good feelings,

only joy, no negativity.

Everybody was just happy.

I thought that we had to protect it.

So, we hung this article

from the wall street journal.

This is a close-up of this caricature.

You see... You see this line over here?

That's the plexiglas that we put.

This is one of the few pictures

we have... come here...

One of the few picture that we

have with actually someone

looking at it.

There's a picture

of my brother and myself.

Point the camera that way.

There it is.

So, that's one of the few

banksys that have survived.

- Okay, guys?

- Yep.

Okay, come on.

Check it out.

There were some rumors

that this was defaced,

but his latest... well, there,

they're showing it to us.

There it is.

It's intact.

I believe that there's still

this negative image,

these negative stereotypes of the Bronx.

And where I am upset with him is

that he didn't do his research

and that what he winds up doing

is perpetuating

those negative stereotypes

with this type of wording.

People from the Bronx are a little upset

because of the word "ghetto"

and them taking that word

a little out of proportion.

We are the ghetto.

And this is where it started...

In the ghetto.

And it's really nice.

So, this what we're looking for.

It's in flushing, queens.

Yeah, what a crazy spot.

It's like in a junkyard or something.

Man.

Oh, my God.

She's trying to buy it from him.

Does he know how much it's worth?

I'm the only one who found it.

At 6:
00 in the morning,

when I come in to work,

nobody paid attention.

I'd be like, "that's weird.

Who do this?"

Everybody started coming.

Paparazzi started taking

pictures and everything.

You see the sidewalk right here?

- I didn't even...

- See that thing?

It's been there for a month.

Can you grab the duster out of there?

No, you guys can keep...

I'm fine. Thank you.

What were you saying?

They're guarding that thing

with their lives.

Why do you think they're guarding it?

Because they probably want to sell it.

Yeah.

I mean, New York was founded

as the mecca of capitalism,

so everyone wanted to make a quick buck

or, in this case, a quick million.

Somebody's already

stealing... the piece.

They're gonna ruin it.

They're stealing it right now,

as we speak.

What do you think about that?

It's f***ed up.

They don't even know who the artist is.

Yeah, right?

They don't even know who it is.

They don't even know who the artist is.

They think they're gonna

get money on ebay.

They probably will, but...

Now, that's just theft

in like... in broad daylight.

Whoa!

Adios!

- Gone.

- Like it never even existed.

Like it never even happened.

Same pile of rocks that were

there yesterday are there now.

Yep, the same stupid-ass

pile of rocks and the...

- No, no, no.

- Oh.

The same stupid pile of rocks

in the stinky, little pond

on the worthless piece of property

that they're going to tear down

to turn into a housing development.

Speaking of stinky,

you're pretty stinky, mister.

Hey, man, I had to go far and wide

for my banksky experience.

You can't do that here.

No, that's graffiti.

Thank you.

Kurt's on TV.

Really got to find out

where those things are,

race to them,

take the pictures, you know,

and start talking to people,

you know, enjoy the area

because I think it all just

adds to the whole ambiance.

- $1.

- don't touch. Don't touch.

- Exit left.

- Have a good day.

Don't touch.

Ask for permission,

and permission is granted.

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