Monday, 25 January 2010

And The Beef Goes On....

all photos: NoLionsInEngland


In the beginning there were four targets. Following a Christmas Day Robbo-mission and a little memo-to-Banksy early in the New Year, there were only two left. Now in the gap between yesterday afternoon (Sunday) and this afternoon, Team Robbo has collected the set.


Slicing the knife into another chink in the armour, Banksy gets mauled for churning out stencil artwork derived from the rat theme pioneered by Blek Le Rat 30 odd years ago.


Banksy La Rat

You eagle-eyed linguists won't miss the feminised definite article there.

Now can you guess who said "Some people want to make the world a better place. I just wanna make the world a better-looking place. If you don't like it, you can paint over it!" ?

Team Robbo accept Banksy's invitation, changing probably the most original and perceptive of Banksy's Regents Canal quartet from this


Don't believe...Global Warming, Banksy



to this


Don't believe...in War, Robbo.


Every graff writer and indeed street artist has those moments of frustration when their execution flops and they pray for the buff to take the piece out as soon as possible (or, more commonly, just paint it out temselves). It's worth a chuckle at Robbo having re-worked and painted over three of the canal bank Banksys chose to merely add a slogan to the toff rat, so preserving to Banksy's enduring embarrassment one of the worst public pieces by Banksy standards seen for a long time (until that dire utilitybox monkey turned up in Utah last week).

Props to both teams for dedication in reaching those spots. Robbo's witty manipulations land a solid one-two. Banksy, scourge of big institutions has had the tables turned on him but with a film premiering in Utah and an international glamour streetart anti-profile to be assidiously maintained, Banksy probably has bigger fish to fry than those landed from the banks of the canal at Camden. It's quality beef but it gets a bit dull when one side pretends not to notice.


Historical note - The full Banksy vs Robbo timeline:

Banksy hits Camden

Banksy vs Robbo...Did You Think It Was Over?


And The Beef Goes On


Banksy v Robbo: War Continues

Banksy Reparations

2014, sadly..  Robbo RIP

7 comments:

  1. Grammatical error anyone?

    I think it is supposed to be 'too' rather than 'to'...

    Just a thought.

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  2. http://chromeandblack.blogspot.com/2010/01/blog-post_24.html

    Thought you would like this.
    I am under the impression that it isn't Robbo doing this but just a team of others angry at the buff of Robbo.

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  3. Jasper - nice link. I'm fairly convinced Robbo is involved but it seems likely he has willing accomplices as well.

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  4. Feels like I'm the only person who thinks Robbo comes off looking like a big, whiny baby in all this.
    None of his retaliations have been very creative, it's just boring.

    If Robbo were really interested in kicking Bansky's ass, seems like he'd write something interesting.

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  5. valid points, but do the graffoto writers want to be any more biased against banksy?

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  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. I love Banksy's work, but I'd be pissed off if someone painted over my 30 year old artwork. Maybe Robbo shouldn't have slapped him though. :D

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