A Little Hanky Banksy

1. I'm sure Banksy thinks he is commenting on the world around him, but his work does nothing for me. It renders me with no sentiments about him whatsoever. I'm utterly nonplussed. Anyone can make art that "speaks" to his or her audience, and Banksy's art certainly does that, but the reason I don't like visual art is that it is too open to interpretation. It can mean anything to anyone, which may be what he is shooting for, but it ends up turning off people like me who want savvy, rather than pretentious commentary.

2. Art is art whether it's located in the Louvre or on the side of a building. The problem lies with authority; the police and/or community leaders might not consider graffiti art. If one selects a pseudonym, he or she can publish, paint, or draw whatever he or she feels without tangible consequences (i.e. fines, jail time). The alternate persona distances the art from the person who creates it. It allows people to rationalize more creative risk because it isn't Scott Gannis writing a book about his feelings, it's F. Scott FitzGannis.

3. If you are proud of your work and not a self-conscious artist, it is always a good idea to put your art where people can see it. Some art is too intensely personal for that, but the vast majority of art deserves an audience. Good art makes people look at the world differently, and the best way for that to take place is growing one's audience.