Banksy and Moco Museum

It might appear a bit decadent to visit museums at this times when everything around us is doom and gloom but on the other hand, it is exactly the right time - there are absolutely no people around so museums are actually genuinely enjoyable and on the other hand, this is one of the best ways to lift my mood a bit and to pamper myself. The streets are deserted and empty, everything is grey and miserable, I might as well enjoy something nice before the whole world goes downhill. 

Moco Museum is here in the centre, literary around the corner from me - naturally, it never occurred to me to go there because its here - if I had to travel, I would have probably seen it long time ago already. It is a lovely old building and has a famous collection of modern and contemporary art - not something I would normally be drawn to, but hey, we all change and our perspectives mature. As a young man, I couldn't care less for the modern art but eventually I came to accept and even enjoy some of it. Like with everything else, when it comes to art, I react completely viscerally and things either move or repel me, there is no middle ground. Most of it is just a pleasant distraction, but every now and than something really catches my attention.

It was a old childhood friend who was constantly going on about Banksy that reminded me, hey, the collection of his works is in Moco Museum and its really close to my work. I was vaguely familiar with his name and notoriety but for this visit I did the homework and read more about him, sounds like really interesting person and contrary to majority of people who would do anything for fame, this one actually hides from it and enjoys working from anonymity. Yeah, I know, it sound silly that I paid quite expensive ticket to see street art but hey, this is a collection and quite large one. There were other artists represented (Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons and Basquiat amongst others) but honestly, all I saw was Banksy and I was super impressed with his ideas - in fact, I don't remember when was the last time I was so taken with any artist. Sure, the technique has nothing to do with the masters from centuries ago who were in a completely different league, but in Banksy's art I see how the art grows, metamorphoses and changes with time - we are in digital era, after all, so it looks and feels different. With Banksy, its all about the message, a symbol, an idea. For example, there was a bust called "Cardinal Sin" - it is a bust of a cardinal where his face was replaced with tiles from a bathroom floor - obvious dig at clergy and their abuse of children, where their identity is always protected by the institution. I thought that was brilliant. Or a large painting describing group of peace-loving policemen - in fact this was about 1985. Battle of the Beanfield when UK policemen savagely beat up and arrested a group of New Age hippies who were on their way to a Stonehenge festival. Every single of his works has an interesting story or at least a thought behind it, I really thought he was brilliant. Couldn't care less for others. OK there was an interesting work by artist who goes with the initials JR and his The Gun Chronicles: A Story of America was actually magnificent collage with two groups (pro and anti-weapons) clashing against each other.