[The Lizard of Oz]

(04-17-2014 06:02 PM)cardguy Wrote:  

I'll be honest. Banksy has grown on me over the years.

It was annoying when he 'cool' and hip. But now that he is still plugging away - I respect him more. A bit like how I respect Bob Dylan for plugging away instead of trying to just live off his legend.

I dunno' if any of that makes sense - but it does to me.

cardguy, it makes sense but it's based on a (widely shared) overvaluing of the supposed virtue of artistic integrity.

The only thing that really matters is whether an artist has real juice and can produce inspired and memorable art. The civic virtues of "plugging away" instead of "living off one's legend", or of refusing to "sell out", or whatever other hoary cliches people like to talk about, are entirely irrelevant to that sole decisive point.

As for Bob Dylan, while I'm no particular fan of his, he certainly had a real height and that came quite a bit before either of us was born. Musicians of that kind peak young with very, very few exceptions -- and once they're done, they're well and truly done. I don't mind looking at Dylan's grizzled and marinaded Jewish head for a few indifferent milliseconds, but the idea that whatever lamentable deadweight he is still extruding at this late stage of the game is something one would ever listen to is a ludicrous one. And in truth I'd much prefer that artists who were possessed by genius at their height would not keep plugging away, but would be allowed to go to some paradisiac location of their choice to enjoy a well earned extended retirement spending their money and living off their legend.

With regard to "Banksy", I can only LOL at the triumphant banality of his mural and its "message".