Banksy: Cut and Run exhibition review
This show is a ‘grab-bag’ of the street artist’s work dating back to the 1990s
“Love him or loathe him, it is impossible to ignore Banksy,” said Mark Brown in The Daily Telegraph. Although he himself has somehow managed to preserve his anonymity, the mysterious graffiti artist’s work has become “as recognisable (and as saleable)” as anything created by Andy Warhol or Keith Haring.
As such, this retrospective at Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art, his first authorised institutional solo show since 2009, is “a big deal”. The exhibition – subtitled “25 Years Card Labour: An Exhibition of Stencils” from 1998-2023 – is a grab-bag of Banksy’s work going back to the 1990s, when he first dabbled in graffiti.
Along the way, it gives us versions of many of his most emblematic pieces – from the “stencilled ants” that were an early signature to the famous Girl With Balloon, a work which unexpectedly shredded itself “within seconds of it being sold at Sotheby’s” – and surprising curios aplenty. This “beautifully put together” show will leave you in no doubt that Banksy is “an artist of remarkable invention and humour” – and one of “lasting importance”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This is perhaps the first time that the “Scarlet Pimpernel of modern art” has shed real light on his operation, said Alison Rowat in The Herald. The first thing we see on entering is one of Banksy’s desks, surrounded by some of the stencils he has used to create his “landmark” works. Stencils (or cards) are the key to how he has avoided arrest and guarded his anonymity, allowing him to do the bulk of the work in his studio and minimise the time it takes to leave his mark on a wall. As the artist says: “Monet had light, Hockney has colour, I’ve got police response time.”
Room-sized installations give us a sense of Banksy’s mischievous personality, too. We see a mock-up of his teenage bedroom, complete with “posters of The Specials and a collection of catapults”. There’s “a giant strip cartoon explaining how the boy Banksy came to be the artist he is today”. “Why can’t you draw something nice? Like flowers?” says his mum. “Definitely her exact words,” Banksy adds.
Banksy is “a master of the visual one-liner”, said Susan Mansfield in The Scotsman. The first-person wall texts give us an amiable, personalised guided tour through his greatest hits, including now-classic images such as “the youth hurling the bunch of flowers”, “the bobbies kissing” and “the heart which turns ‘Vote leave’ into ‘Vote love’”.
The Banksy who emerges from this show is “a practical joker with a conscience rather than a purveyor of incisive political commentary”, and you can’t help but warm to him. Nevertheless, removed from its original context, his work can often feel rather inert.
“Interesting” as this exhibition is, it ultimately feels “just a little bit empty. This is a museum of Banksy. The real thing is out in the streets.”
Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow (cutandrun.co.uk). Until 28 August
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - November 2, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - anti-fascism, early voter turnout, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour – an 'expansive' exhibition
The Week Recommends The 'sweeping' show features over 140 works from paintings to ceramics
By The Week UK Published
-
Kate Summerscale picks her favourite true crime books
The Week Recommends The writer shares works by Janet Malcolm, Helen Garner and Mark O'Connell
By The Week UK Published
-
The Forsyte Saga: 'faultless' production with a 'pitch-perfect' cast
The Week Recommends Theatrical adaptation of John Galsworthy's novels is a 'must-see' show
By The Week Published
-
6 exciting homes for athletes
Feature Featuring a rock-climbing wall in New York and a basketball-tennis court in Washington
By The Week Staff Published
-
Peter Ames Carlin's 6 favorite books on pop culture icons
Feature The author recommends works by James McBride, Jim Bouton, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Wild Robot: animated adventure is 'warm, funny and wise'
The Week Recommends 'Sharply written and richly detailed' adaptation of Peter Brown's best-selling book
By The Week UK Published
-
Francis Bacon: Human Presence – a 'stirring, splendid' exhibition
The Week Recommends 'Riveting' show at the National Portrait Gallery explores the artist's 'wild' portraits
By The Week UK Published
-
Robert McCrum shares his favourite books on sport
The Week Recommends Writer and editor picks works by Nick Hornby, David Goldblatt and others
By The Week UK Published