If you feel dirty, insignificant or unloved, then rats are a good role model. They exist without permission, they have no respect for the hierarchy of society, and they have sex 50 times a day.
BanksyRead
I’ve learnt from experience that a painting isn’t finished when you put down your brush – that’s when it starts. The public reaction is what supplies meaning and value. Art comes alive in the arguments you have about it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Art evolves and gains significance through public engagement and interpretation.
The quote by Banksy emphasizes that the completion of a painting is not merely about the act of painting itself, but rather, it enters a new phase once it's presented to the public. The value and meaning of art are derived from the dialogues, discussions, and differing opinions it stimulates among viewers, highlighting the interactive nature of artistic expression.
Themes
ArtPaintingPublic ReactionExperienceValue
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in an art critique session to emphasize the importance of viewer interpretation.
More from Banksy
All quotes →T.V. has made going to the theatre seem pointless, photography has pretty much killed painting but graffiti has remained gloriously unspoilt by progress.
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I originally set out to try and save the world, but now I'm not sure I like it enough.
BanksyRead
Graffiti ultimately wins out over proper art because it becomes part of your city, it' s a tool; "I'll meet you in that pub, you know, the one opposite that wall with a picture of a monkey holding a chainsaw". I mean, how much more useful can a painting be than that?
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Think outside the box, collapse the box, and take a f**king sharp knife to it.
BanksyRead
Gaza is often described as 'the world's largest open air prison' because no-one is allowed to enter or leave. But that seems a bit unfair to prisons - they don’t have their electricity and drinking water cut off randomly almost every day.
BanksyRead
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