Street art. I love it. Bansky is one of the most clever street artists alive. If you haven't seen his (or her?) New York 'residency' then you have obviously been spending too much time grading art projects or living under a rock.
Better Out Than In is the latest series by the artist and it is all great, thought-provoking work. I absolutely love this artist as a teaching tool for my classroom. There are so many teachable moments when referring to Banksy's body of work. Each of his works takes a stance on popular social topics.
Forbes magazine has a great article on Banksy's seemingly anti-commercial/anti-gallery stance, which is all too funny because the artist is worth upwards of $20 M.
The idea that art should be accessible to everyone, not just the wealthy or educated is an important idea, especially for art students. Bansky creates public art in a way that is sarcastic and in your face. There are other artists who get their start in street art, Shepard Fairey is one of them (there are MANY). At the end of the term, I sometimes show my students the movie "Exit Through the Gift Shop", which is about street artists, how they work, a crazy man who calls himself "Mr. Brainwash", and Banksy makes an 'appearance'. I wouldn't just show this movie to any class and teachers be warned...you need to preview it and have a discussion with your students prior to viewing!
