Don't misread a subtlety when it was announced that Banksy's Cut and Run, his first solo show in over a decade, was opening this Sunday at Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow. This is not just authorized by the artist, as the initial reports say: this is, indeed, a Banksy show; by him, of his work spanning the past 25 years. What it does appear to be, as well, from the initial images shown across UK media today, is a both a deconstruction of how his work moves through his mind to studio and street art practice, but also a bit of wink-and-nod and not so subtle pushback to all the other unauthorized shows that have popped up in recent years. This has what they don't have: his actual hand.
As Banksy said in a press statement, “I’ve kept these stencils hidden away for years, mindful they could be used as evidence in a charge of criminal damage. But that moment seems to have passed, so now I’m exhibiting them in a gallery as works of art. I’m not sure which is the greater crime.” More to come...
Book tickets now at https://cutandrun.co.uk/
