Showing posts with label Cauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cauty. Show all posts

Saturday 22 August 2015

Dismaland - Banksy in Weston Super Mare


Weston-super-Mare
22nd August – 27th September 2015

All photos: NoLionsInEngland except Dismaland logo courtesy www.banksy.co.uk


It has been a while, street art has been wallowing in the doldrums. There has been too many art graduates choosing careers as muralists, not enough vandals (particularly from America, we like American vandals) and a prolonged period of inactivity from Banksy. Well, at last one of those has been fixed.

Banksy has taken over a bankrupt and decaying seaside amusement park barely rising above the sludgy worm ridden mud flats of the Severn Estuary in Weston Super Mare. I grew up in Wales looking out of a bedroom window on the other side of the estuary looking at WSM's twinkling lights imagining untold foreign glamour - an illusion now ruined. "For the next five weeks the Tropicana [its previous incarnation] will once again echo to the sound of crying children". Thanks Banksy!


from www.Banksy.co.uk


It's not exactly Thorpe Park but Banksy has managed to amp up the scale of the art and the location, making this exhibition provides a worthy successor to 2008's Cans Festival and 2009's Banksy v. Bristol Museum. Banksy has dealt with humour and he has dabbled with spoof children’s rides in the past - remember the riot cop on the pony ride in the 2009 Bristol show - this event puts those themes on turbo boost.

The central feature of the park, poised in the middle of a stagnant, shit filled pond is a derelict oily looking castle straight out of a Disney landscape re-imagined by, say, Mutoid Waste (but...although Joe Rush is included in the catalogue I didn't see any mechanoid fire belching steampunk shit like you'd expect).

 Dismaland Castle


Inside the castle is a crashed pumpkin coach with a dead princess spilling out off the window with papparazzi photographers capturing the kind of graphic gore that daily pads out our tabloids.  It's more a critique on media intrusion than an unlikely empathy with the Royal family.


Banksy



Shit filled pond (sometimes it's the attention to detail that is all important)


How about the Banksy art? Well, Banksy wasn't the first to use stencils for counter cultural humour and he has inspired many followers and as there are no labels it is not always easy to be certain what is Banksy and what just might be. Fans of Banksy as stencillist will be bowled over by the use of corrugated wall cladding as a shower curtain under which a pair of boys peek at one of their mums or perhaps a sister showering - a teenage fantasy staple apparently!


Banksy


The catalogue says that Banksy did the woman attacked by seagulls, in which case where is the work by taxidermist Polly Morgan as advertised on the list of artists? [there may have other work by Polly Morgan tucked away in the "gallery" which might have been missed].


Banksy - he says it's his so it must be


Political reaction to one of biggest humanitarian crises ever is lampooned by Banksy’s boat pond. Fully functioning radio controlled rust buckets bearing a cramped cargo of shivering migrants scoot around an oily sea with scattered floating bodies harassed by gun boats and no, that isn’t a lighthouse, it’s a gun tower defending the mother land.


Banksy



Banksy


A rather fast and slightly distressed carousel whizzes around with its screaming human cargo plus a manikin wearing white overalls. When the merry-go-round stops we see a brilliant sculpture of a butcher with a roundabout horse hanging from its hooves about to enter the food chain, clearly referencing last year’s horsemeat in processed food scandal.  Is it Banksy? Not sure but it has his humorous twist on mass produced "budget" price point food prioritizing profit over welfare.


Banksy


Some of the pieces have a sense of déjà vu as Banksy returns to old themes and repetition of previous jokes. Pollution and wild beasts in captivity? Here’s your killer whale performing tricks out of a toilet into a pool much too small for it. Death dances the macabre in his bumper car to the tune of “Don’t Fear The Reaper”, an exact reprise of its appearance in 2013 for the “Better Out Than In” residency on the streets of New York.


Banksy


Part of the outer ramparts of Dismaland look like what the facade of a Disney castle would look like if some incontinent political prisoners held a dirty protest from its walls. On one of these ramparts was a licensed bar, you had to be up there to operate the levers that animated a Paul Insect/Bast collaborative puppet theatre made from thrown away shit retrieved from Hackney Wick. Sadly the bar was too popular doing what bars do, no one bothered operating the puppets. Photo not included.

One of the best "bemusements" was "Pocket Money Loans", a small and rather specialised finance boutique by Darren Cullen fast-tracking the next generation of debt service slaves into a life of financial "chimney sweeping". A chilling ensemble of beautifully fabricated spoof toys accelerate young innocents to a variety of worldy experiences at far too young an age – Baby's baby is pregnant!


Darren Cullen


Like all mediocre fun fairs there are a range of amusements designed to engage and interact with, right from the moment you enter through Bill Barminski’s stark X-Ray search spoof.


Bill Barminski


Dismal "experience enhancement operatives" conduct niche performance art posing as miserable, unhelpful buggers, though perhaps it wasn't a faked performance in some cases.  Dotted around the park are seedy looking games you throw things at, shoot guns at, fish from, ride, pose with (Lush’s photo boards), just remember to wash your hands afterwards.


 David Shrigley - Topple The Anvil (for a Meaningless prize)










Banksy's previous group shows have been high impact fast food comedy art, you got it quick and
moved on. At Dismaland there are installations which could keep you engrossed for frankly hours without football transfer news or porn being mentioned once. Go to Guerilla Island, the art is political, conspiracy theories are the common denominator, it is epic working class trade union banners and a "Comrade Advice Bureau" among many other anarchist agendas, some not so "entry level" as touted in Dismaland's website.  A stand of political literature and anarchist manifestos rejoices in a name which itself subverts the trademark of a well known (in the UK anyway) high street bookshop.


No Borders


Perhaps the most practical nugget dug up were the "Guide To Interacting With Bus Stop Advertising Spaces" lying in a photocopier out-tray.

The work of Ed Hall first came to general public indifference thanks to artist Jeremy Deller (the odds of either them ever featuring in Graffoto again are pretty long!).   Banksy takes us outside our comfort zone and reveals art where we least expected it: outdoor walls, union banners, polluted cesspits and so on, this is a key part of the essential magic of a Banky production.


Ed Hall & others


As the the fairground bemusements are so overwhelming (-ly dismal) it might be quite easy to enter the actual indoor gallery part and think "oh - Art! Hmmmmmmm, I'd rather be overwhelmed by the fairground bemsements", which is exactly what I did think. The show stopper is Jimmy Cauty's model village, an installation he has titled "Aftermath Displacement Principal",  This is his Jam Jar Riots gone on a viral rampage. In a darkened room police crawl all around sink estate crime scene detritus, depending upon where you come from it's either incredibly life like or impressive model making.


Jimmy Cauty - Aftermath Displacement Principle


Canvasses, sculpture and photography abounds by artists from GB, USA, Europe and the Middle East. Curiously, little or  no work seems to come from the Far East unless you count Australia.  Bringing these talents into our consciousness in this bemusement park is a doomed venture as the outside works won’t release you from their grip, the inside art feels like something to be swiftly whizzed through before heading back out into the sensory overload of the main park.


Banksy



Jeff Gillette (USA)

Looking at Jeff Gillette's painting above, he is clearly having a little subversive fun at the expene of Disneyland and indeed the whole branding of Dismaland is a gnat's appendage away from the Disney theme park brand.  Banksy of course has previous with Disney having created the Guantamo prisoner alongside the Florida Disneyland Space Mountain, as documented quite comprehensively in his 2010 film "Exit Through The Gift Shop".


This is undoubtedly another Banksy master piece so it's interesting to ponder what’s new? Certainly the art hung on the walls indoors is by artists from more diverse geographic, cultural and creative backgrounds than say Cans Festival.  In 2008 Banksy opened our eyes to two things, the huge world of international stencillists doing more than just illegal single layer stencil work, remember until Cans Festival none of us had heard of Vhils!   This time round it seems likely that more than just a few of the exhibited artists have never tagged a toilet cubicle never mind put up a piece of illegal street art or some hit and run graffiti.

Secondly, he taught us we could all be stencil artists. This time he is clearly going beyond the stencil technique and indeed beyond the confines of the street art straitjacket.

What remains the same?  The Banksy philosophy, art is for everyone. No need to risk a brief intrusion into a posh intimidating gallery, here we are all welcome and it doesn't matter whether we "get" art or not.  The scale of the production is also phenomenal. It is interesting to recall that Banksy’s two most recent British epics were aided and abetted by Steve Lazarides,  Dismaland ranks right up alongside any of the vast undertakings Lazarides has staged in the past, the apprentice does not need the master!


"Mediocre" - Axel Void

What's missing? The art-by-anyone "rock up and spray" element that was such a huge success at the 2008 Cans Festival for a start.


Judging by the photographs used in the couple of days leading up to Dismaland’s opening to ramp up the hype, there are a few pieces such as Ben Long’s scaffolding horse which it seems are expected to become visual set piece images of the show. I don’t get it, cant see the meaning or a relevant context for the piece other than it something you don't expect to see scaffolding being used for.  At least it photographs nicely at night.




What could be added? Well an explanation of the term "neoliberalism"  which appears in the catalogue (Dr Gavin Grindon) for a start,  Banksy’s purpose is to expand our spirit of adventure and develop a broader appreciation of art which probably ought not to be allowed, not to look up dictionaries.


"Mediocre" - Axel Void (and an Exit)

What is the most subversive thing Banksy does this time? Probably introducing into popular culture the work of artists, many from the middle east, who are making direct, well structured anti establishment political art. It is insidiously placed among the "easy green" idealogy and the dismal jokes.


Banksy? some think so


Heading back to London on the last train before the milk train I receive a text advising that the fireworks were good, they aren't supposed to be good, they should be damp squibs!


Saturday 11 October 2008

SPLATTER – J Cauty & Son


the plausible impossibility of death in the minds of cartoon characters - part 4.

Aquarium L-13, 63 Farringon Road.
9 Oct - 8 Nov 08


Cauty’s Splatter show got awesome pre show column inches in the press. Controversy, epic copyright infringement and a PR agent will kind of see to that. 90% of every piece in the papers has focussed on that awesome cv, the baggage of musical mis-ploits and interventionist nihilism that Cauty carries round with him. Just to be different, let’s first start with some recent street credentials then actually see what was at the show.

Conceptual street art piece of the year to date is (totally objectively and definitively - hah) the trA toN sI sihT billboard below. People not aware of this site should know that the image on the billboard is a “reflection” of the other side of the road. The photographer and the poor ol’ pigeon aren’t reflected in the “mirror” which was a head bender on many kind of levels. Cauty confessed to having considered putting a photographer in the picture. But that would have been silly!


trA toN sI sihT


image compression dissolves the detail in the reflection, you can see it more clearly here

The idea for Splatter was Cauty Jr’s, the idea that cartoons lacked the element of conclusion, the natural effect of the level violence sustained by cartoon characters would result in the real world in plenty of spilt claret and shredded limbs. So, bring on the gore and mirth.


Hooding (Mothers Against Violence: Sick)


The show is an almost partly organised multi media melee with sculpture, prints, video installations, lightboxes and mini artefacts. The front window is taken up with an glossily executed Daffy murder scene in resin. Be on notice from that point onwards to expect violence, amputation and blood.


Operation Vigilant Justice


Further sculptures range from the pedestal based Aim Point down to more manageable but dis-proportionately expensive TV top statuettes. Splatter images have been peppered over a range of products including limited edition mugs, mouse mats (cooooooool), wallpaper and badges.


Aim Point


The key piece of the show from which it seems all other images are lifted is the animation. Showing the DVD at home to the Nolions pack had the 8 year old rolling with laughter, favourite bit “the blood fountains” and the 11 year old declaiming it as weird and lacking plot structure. And demands from Lady NoLions for the volume down.

The DVD is a 7 minute looping compendium of carnage and high pressure blood geysers. Without doubt the enhancement of the animation is utter convincing, the credits at the end of the DVD identify the animator bought in to help with the realisation.


Tom and Jerry – retains visceral humour


There are essentially seven core images lifted from the animation that form the basis of all the prints, sculptures and artefacts in the show.


Operation Vigilant Justice (counter attack)


Many of the images do not bear the blowing up to poster size and giclee print process, the vague fuzziness where animation ought to lend itself to crispness may suggest sticking to the mini-cells on repro film (is that geekin-ese for acetate?) or smaller prints would be a good idea.


Operation All American Tiger


Does the show do what it says on the tin? Absolutely, buckets of blood and severed limbs everywhere.


Basic Stopping Power


Is it pioneering? Perhaps, perhaps not. Many will recall a level of savagery in cartoons from 30-40 years ago which was way more graphic than what passes the diffident and sensitive programmer’s editing suite these days. Also, Itchy and Scratchy sort of provides a similar level of dismemberment, though without the graphic fluid leaking all over the screen and that is really the question begged by Cauty Jr who came up with the concept a few months ago (so that’d be the school holidays then), what happened to the blood and why didn’t they die?


Dispersion Error (“Daddy, what’s a dispersion error?” - honest)


Is it fun – hell yeah, the inner comedy anarchist is highly envious of making those animations and pictures for a living. Its also the most shambolic chaos ever passed off as an art opening, viewing the DVD installations required mountaineering over jumbles of boxes and rubbish which actually possibly might have been the shop stock! We expect nothing less from Cauty.


Careful now, don’t hurt yourself


Anyone with the slightest awareness of the protective attitude of large corporate brands will be pondering the chutzpah of such brazen image theft. In keeping with the theme, Cauty himself bears his chest to the legal snipers and his video disclaimer almost taunts WB to bring it on.

Splatter disclaimer


The static images had a flaw in that they are freeze frames from a medium that relies on frenzied action and “that’s all folks” furious music. The pictures really need the benefit of at least a cartoon strip to provide the full joke, otherwise they are just “ha ha – blood” stills without any particular joke. That said, Cauty Jr has pulled off a bright idea edges with controversy and accomplished a fresh show with his old man’s ability to deliver undoubtedly significant in getting there, for his sake lets hope he appreciates it isn’t always so easy. Are my kids going to turn into pistol toting murderers? Hopefully not but why is my wife polishing that axe?

Splattered all over the stage - more photos here

Hands up if you are amused by the dig at art pretentiousness in the meaningless addition of “part 4” to the sub-title [both hands raised]


PS If your kids need to know what dispersion error is, well this is it:


The distance from the point of impact to the mean point of impact