An Exhibition Review of BANKSY: Counterculture

If you follow contemporary art, or even politics, chances are at some point in the last 10 years you’ve heard the name Banksy. The anonymous street artist who leaves viscerally political messages in public spaces at night, and disappears by morning. Both in and out of the art world, he’s considered revolutionary for the way he engages in activism, and brings social injustices to light entirely from the shadows. His work however, more often than not, is ephemeral. No matter which city he’s working in, his politically charged messages are often quickly covered by the local governments he’s commenting on. Very rarely are they preserved, by intention; in fact, of the hundreds of works he’s done over the course of his career, only a handful have been authenticated.

This week, I had the opportunity to see some of his work at Level & Co.’s BANKSY: Counterculture exhibition, where one of these authenticated murals was on display, straight from a street in London. The exhibit was composed of work spanning the early 2000’s, including his lesser known remixes on master works of Velasquez, Warhol, van Gogh, and Keith Haring. To contextualize these pieces, the exhibit also featured an original Keith Haring, as well as an Andy Warhol. The dichotomy between Banksy’s street art and pieces that demonstrated his more classical, traditional techniques created a unique intersection between history and contemporary cultural commentary. As a whole, the exhibit painted a full picture of not only Banksy’s mission but the creative lineage he draws from, and where he stands within it. 

Velasquez's Rokeby Venus

Take his remix of Velasquez, for example. The original painting, Rokeby Venus, depicts the nude figure of Venus, goddess of love, reclined in bed examining her reflection in a mirror held up by her son, Cupid. What’s important in this context is that Velasquez made this painting while serving as a member of the court for King Phillip IV. This means the image was tailored to the gaze of the male aristocracy. This is reflected in the way her face is blurred in the mirror; her individuality pales in comparison to the depiction of her form. Banksy’s depiction sends an entirely different message; not only is Venus’ face clear in the mirror and making eye contact with the viewer, but it's bandaged as if she had just gotten a nose job. Not only does this decision provide Venus with an element of interiority Velasquez denies her, but it also creates an outward commentary on the beauty standards placed on women in society. By choosing this painting in particular to remix, he poses a scathing question; is even the goddess of love and beauty not beautiful enough to meet the expectations of society? 

Banksy's Venus, 2006

It’s questions like this that Banksy’s exhibit probes, complemented by careful curatorial decisions by Level & Co. But who are they? Level & Co. is one of the world’s leading private art dealers, with pieces in museums all over the world. It operates as a subsidiary of Masterworks, a company that allows members of the public to invest in artworks from big name artists, primarily specializing in Post-War and Contemporary art of the 20th and 21st-centuries. What does this mean exactly? It works like this: members of Masterworks get an email when Level & Co. invests in a new work. They can then buy as many shares of the work as they want. They also have unlimited access to Level & Co.’s private gallery space, and can visit the work they own shares of for as long as it’s there. Then, when the work is sold, either to a museum, gallery, or a private buyer, anyone with shares in the work makes a profit. 

This system manufactures a new way of looking at art; while it does enable more economic turnover within the art world, it also commercializes work in ways the artist may not have intended. Subsequently, relegating pieces of artwork to investment opportunities runs the risk of degrading the message behind them, and obstructing the line of communication between artist and audience. This is especially true of artists like Banksy, whose primary goal is to bypass the institutional barriers that may otherwise keep people from seeing his work.

Typically, gallery showings orchestrated by Level & Co. are private, members-only events. But when Banksy’s media team, Pest Control, heard about the Counterculture exhibit, they reached out to encourage a more democratic approach, insisting it be open to the public; Banksy’s work aims to knock down barriers between art and audience. It pushes boundaries and defies social division, seeking justice and calls to action through art. Therefore, to see his work in a gallery and truly understand it, and feel its impact as intended, the gallery cannot be consigned to a specific audience. Especially not an audience with an economic stake in his work. Thanks to Pest Control, members of the public were able to walk through, and see Banksy’s visions for themselves. 

And thanks to SAEN, I was one of them. So if you’re interested in more art history, gallery reviews, or updates as to how things are moving in the art world, make sure to follow along on both our blog and instagram! And if you want to do more than read about it, check out the bootcamps, Readiness Program, and donation platforms on our website to get involved first-hand. Banksy believes in lowering barriers for artists everywhere, and so do we. If you’re looking for an accessible palace to enter the art world, you’ve found us!