BANKSY

thanks, Brick Lane was v interesting. I can see elements of insincerity about Picasso. Spain was never so developed a country as other parts of WEurope and Picasso suffers from many of the flaws of Spanish men of his era, but he had great visual sense. Kandinsky was a great colourist, I'm surprised you didn't include him? What about die Brucke? or Paul Klee?
Warhol went off the boil as a painter after the mid-60s and was mainly an art entrepreneur or manager or instigator of things. Beuys can be inscrutably pretentious, but funny. Together they are v interesting, apart curiousities.
For me Banksy is an explorative artist, because he's seen the paradox of art in our society. How can art exist in a society dominated by money and private property. So they go and make him into a GREAT ARTIST after they harrassed him so much, as you said. I've been arrested too, on the Southbank, attempting to sell my art on the street, naively, and then realising later that everyone needs a permit and even then only tourist art is allowed. I dont care, its all part of our development, we need these hurting experiences to allow us to grow. But I think the police were hurt even more than me. After all, they go home, screw the wife, have a shave, shit and shower, and then, what is there? Nothing! They look into the blank nothingness that they are, after all the orifices they have have been emptied and there is nothing. What kind of a position is that to be in? I have my paintings and feel stronger, strong enough to conquer the world and beyond. Because I have a dream and that dream is a painting or a poem, not someone elses poem, painting, not someone elses sensual experience, not someone elses great orgasm. I can be happy and being happy I have everything.