It is almost upon us… yes Black Friday is a thing and this means money being spent, overspent, wasted – pick yours.
You may recall the piece called ‘Shop til your drop’ by the artist Banksy which appeared on Bruton lane, Mayfair, London a few years back. This piece depicts a woman being pulled down or falling and reaching for a shopping cart.
We included other street art from the web & related to Black Friday – Black Friday & street art.
‘Shop til you drop’ by Banksy
About Black Friday
Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States (the fourth Thursday of November).
Since 1932, it has been regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the U.S., and most major retailers open very early (and more recently during overnight hours) and offer promotional sales.
Black Friday is not an official holiday, but California and some other states observe “The Day After Thanksgiving” as a holiday for state government employees, sometimes in lieu of another federal holiday such as Columbus Day.
Banksy fans will remember this SWAT (police units used in specialised operations such as dealing with gunmen) van which the artist painted back in 2006 as form of provocation towards the police force.
Well, it is time to empty your pockets if you want it parked on your drive way, indeed the street artist’s van is included in the auction house’s Post-War and Contemporary Art auction on June 29.
The formal estimate is at between £200,000 to £300,000. The present owner bought the van directly off the artist and vanished from the public eye until today but rest assured, it comes with a certificate of verification from the Pest Control Office, Banksy’s authorisation service which confirms pieces as genuine.
Here is what Bonhams‘ Ralph Taylor,senior director in its Post-War and Contemporary Art department –
The van shows Banksy’s bravado, imagination and technical skill
About the work itself
Both sides are painted.
One one side, a little boy is depicted and is about to prank a SWAT team -gun-toting officers in riot gear, who are about to be surprised from behind by a young boy clutching a blown-up paper bag,
On the other side you will have recognised Dorothy (played byJudy Garland) from The Wizard of Oz standing among heavy tagging and graffiti on the other.
But what people may describe as the main message in this work is the sign saying “How’s my bombing?” rather than “How’s my driving?”
Part of Banksy’s “Barely Legal” show
Click to enlarge
The vehicle, restyled with household gloss and spray paint in 2006, was displayed that same year in a Los Angeles warehouse for Banksy’s “Barely Legal” show — his US debut.
Despite little advance notice and its location near Skid Row, the event received considerable publicity and was attended by stars such as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.
We included a couple of pics below of the show. the top one giving you an overview while the other shows a truck that was used outside the show venue – click any pictures to enlarge
The finished work by Banksy of the wall of the school – Copyright Local World
A large number of people always get quite to very excited when a new Banksy work is discovered and we must admit, we were one of these this time round when we read this morning about this new work somewhere near Bristol… Keep reading on.
A contest amongst pupils at the origin of all this
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Bridge Farm Primary School in Bristol, where Banksy dropped his latest piece, organised a little while ago, a contest amongst the pupils in the aim to name houses at the school after famous people and Banksy was one of the names that came up the most and which was therefore chosen. The other names were Brunel, Blackbeard and Cabot.
Geoff Mason, the head teacher wrote to Banksy’s team before they broke up for the half-term to let him know they had named a house after him…
Surprise when kids got back to school this morning
Children, staff and parents from the school in Whitchurch were surprised by the artwork this morning we hear as no one expected Banksy to produce some street art right in the courtyard!
The painting was done over the weekend, when Banksy was supposedly going to collect an award elsewhere namely the Sky Arts Awar.
Although Banksy rarely signs his work, a spokesman for him confirmed this morning it was indeed the elusive artist’s work. It is thought to be the first verified artwork from Banksy in a primary school.
Copyright – Local World
Even more surprised to get a letter back from Banksy
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Here is what Geoff Mason, headteacher at the school, said the school had received a letter from the artist himself.
“I think it went up over the weekend, and completed last night, but we’re not entirely sure.
“It was done after we ran a competition to change the house names, and we decided to name them after Bristol legends. We had to include Banksy.
We thought it would be a good idea to write to the PR company and let them know we’ve run the competition.
“I’m sure this is Banksy’s work. We had a call from his PR team, and a letter signed by him.”
The letter reads:
“Dear Bridge Farm School, thanks for your letter and naming a house after me.
“Please have a picture, and if you don’t like it, feel free to add stuff.
“I’m sure the teachers won’t mind. Remember, it’s always easier to get forgiveness than permission.
Hibernate is an amazing selection of works from some of Hang-Up‘s favourite urban and contemporary artists.
With brand new limited edition prints and original artworks from the likes of Mark Powell, Pure Evil, Delphine Lebourgeois and Joe Webb as well as sought after collectors pieces from Takashi Murakami, Banksy and Invader.
We included below some of the pieces from the show
WHAT – Hibernate WHERE – 81 Stoke Newington Road, Stoke Newington, London N16 8AD WHEN – until 31/12/2015
Banksy – Christ With Shopping Bags – Signed Limited Edition Screenprint of 82Delphine Lebourgeois – Superhero I – Limited Edition Screenprint of 35
You’ve probably heard of Banksy‘s Dismaland, a dystopian amusement park which closed its doors in October of this year. However you may not have known the installations used for this art project have since been transferred to the port-side town of Calais France by volition Banksy himself. Labeled “Dismal Aid”, the timber and building materials have been repurposed into housing, children’s play areas, and community centers for the 7000+ Syrian refugees.
At the same time, Banksy has taken this opportunity to spread a few messages about the situation of “The Jungle”, the largest refugee camp in Western Europe. Three new pieces with very strong messages can be seen around Calais – read on below to see the images and brief descriptions.
The Steve Jobs Piece
With weathered clothing and an exhausted body language we see a depiction of Steve Jobs, sporting the now notorious expression from this iconic photograph. Steve carries an old Macintosh computer and a bin bag or rucksack on his shoulders. The message? Jobs is himself a son of Syrian migrants, he is of the same lineage as the refugees escaping ISIS today.
In a rare public statement to accompany the piece, Banksy expressed his drive and the message:
“We’re often led to believe migration is a drain on the country’s resources but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian migrant. Apple is the world’s most profitable company, it pays over $7billion a year in taxes – and it only exists because they allowed in a young man from Homs.”
The Medusa Piece in the Center of Calais
Based on French artist Théodore Géricault’s Raft of The Medusa, Banksy updates the dark and striking piece with a small background image of a modern cruise ship or luxury yacht. The boat, like the original piece, is embroiled in an intense struggle with the sea. The message of “We are not all in the same boat” speaks for itself.
The Young Boy Piece on the Beach
A silhouette of a young boy can be seen looking through a telescope while a vulture watches over him. The message of hope, future and dreams is cast harshly against a looming potential reality of darkness and death.
These artworks have been well-received by the city of Calais with an official statement in the local newspaper by mayor Natacha Bouchart, describing their value for the city. The city has expressed their commitment to protect the pieces behind transparent plastic shields, so the message and artworks remain intact for the foreseeable future.
It is almost upon us… yes Black Friday is a thing and this means money being spent, overspent, wasted – pick yours.
You’ve probably heard of 
