We Walked Through The Art of Banksy, and We Are Still Thinking About It
The Art of Banksy is now open at the Straz Center in Tampa through September 27, and it is the world’s largest authenticated, but unauthorized collection of privately owned Banksy art, more than 160 original works worth $35 million. We knew the numbers going in. What we didn’t expect was how quiet the room would feel, even surrounded by some of the most provocative art of the last three decades.
The icons are there.
“Girl with Balloon” and “Rude Copper” hit differently in person than they ever have on a screen. But it was the smaller, lesser known pieces that slowed us down, the ones that reveal an artist working out ideas long before the world was watching.
The original “Flower Thrower” caught us off guard. Created in 1997 as a gift for Banksy’s then girlfriend, it’s showing exclusively here, alongside her own filmed reflections on the man behind the work. There’s an intimacy to it that feels almost accidental, like stumbling onto something you weren’t meant to see.
Then there’s the “Mona Lisa.” Once part of Brad Pitt’s private collection, returned to Banksy in 2022 and reworked into something entirely new. Standing in front of its first U.S. public appearance, we found ourselves lingering longer than planned, trying to decide what he meant by it. We’re still deciding.
Perhaps for us the most interesting was Banksy’s famous self-shredding painting of the “Girl with a Balloon,” that is part of the exhibition and now the half shredded piece is renamed “Love is in the Bin” and at the Sotheby’s auction itself created a new art piece at a massive profit three years later at $25.4 million. The original sold for about $1.4 million. We also enjoyed the famous Banksy Paris Hilton CD prank where Banksy along with producer Danger Mouse placed around 500 copies of Paris Hilton’s debut album in UK stores with altered art and a parody of remixes. It amazes us at the level of infiltration of the music industry.
More than a million people have felt this same pull, through Melbourne, Tel Aviv, Toronto, Miami and two years in London. In 2010, Time named Banksy among the 100 most influential people alive, alongside Obama and Steve Jobs. He has spent his career avoiding recognition. It has only made the work louder.
TAMPA BAY METRO’s Take: Some exhibitions you tour. This one stays with you.
What stayed with us most was the design itself. It doesn’t explain Banksy so much as surround you with him, his history, his contradictions, the mystery he has never let anyone solve. We left with more questions than we came with. We suspect that’s the point. M
The Art of Banksy: The Official London Collection is on display at the Straz Center now through September 27.
Tickets available at https://banksyexhibit.com/tampa
