art that speaks

i've been following an artist who goes by the name Banksy. he has been dubed a "guerrilla artist," "prankster," and "political graffiti artist" among other things. his work is risky and thought provoking as he addresses hot issues and dives into controversy- addressing the (literal) elephant in the room. this is art that says something- i love it.


here's some headlines from the BBC:
Barely Legal: Banksy art show in LA, including a live elephant- read more.
A life-size replica of a Guantanamo Bay detainee has been placed in Disneyland by "guerrilla artist" Banksy- read more.
Fake prehistoric rock art of a caveman with a shopping trolley has been hung on the walls of the British Museum- read more.
A British graffiti artist has managed to evade security and hang his work in four of New York's most prestigious and well-guarded museums- read more.
Hundreds of Paris Hilton albums have been tampered with in the latest stunt by "guerrilla artist" Banksy- read more.

open your eyes

a few years ago, my brother and i had a conversation about a series of art projects he did as an exploration in how well people "see." he would secretly install a piece of "art out of context"... and then watch people pass it by. how well do you notice detail? do you see beauty in your world? do you notice art? appreciate patterns? absorb colors? slow down enough to feel and touch and see and smell and taste? how well do you pay attention to the world around you? for an extreme project of similar nature, check out little people, i love it.

say what?

language is facinating. i recently read that we morph our language to be included by some and to exclude others. "christianese" comes to mind as a very exclusive language, just like the languages of any subculture- hiphop, hipster, hippy... you name it. if you want in, you'd better learn the language. once you're in, your language can be a device to keep the "other" at bay. i wonder how the language i speak is alienating to some... what about you?

community?

Theological Illustration #5: (leaves and ink)
image copyright: phil nellis, 2006