15 Things We Learned From the "Banksy Does New York" HBO Documentary
To celebrate the release of the "Banksy Takes New York" documentary on HBO, here are interesting facts from the film.
Image via Complex Original
One year ago, Banksy's "Better Out Than In" street art residency hit New York city, with a new piece up every day during October 2013. It was a huge moment in art and culture that spread virally online, each piece bringing various controversies with them—political commentary by Banksy (about Wikileaks, terrorism, and 9/11), defacement by vandals, theft, police involvement, and much more. Notably, Banksy started an Instagram to share the pieces with hints about their locations, marking a new chapter in his masked, anonymous career.
Last night, HBO premiered the 75-minute documentary Banksy Does New York, directed by Chris Moukarbel, exclusively on HBO GO. The TV premiere will happen on Nov. 17, but for those who can't wait, get an HBO GO account and watch it ASAP.
Here are 15 Things We Learned From the Banksy Does New York HBO Documentary.
The film was made with “user-generated” footage, as in, videos shot by the “Banksy hunters” and onlookers who traveled far and wide to see his pieces.
The film was “not produced or created by Banksy.”
But Banksy did give his approval of the film halfway through its creation, and he even gave some direction (like choosing the documentary's intro song).
The film's story is told through many of the journalists who documented the residency closely.
Additionally, humorous footage from dog walkers/Banksy hunters Two Way Traffic's YouTube series made it into the film.
But the film doesn't only get accounts from people who love Banksy and supported his project in New York.
The film underscores 5 Pointz's cultural significance as being the “birthplace of graffiti” and ties it into Banksy's 5 Pointz tribute.
The film reminds us that guys were charging people $20 to see a Banksy piece in East New York.
It also states that the value of the pieces sold for $60 each in Central Park was actually $250,000.
However, none of the pieces lifted from locations around New York, which remain inauthenticated by Banksy, have sold yet.
The Sphinx piece at Willets Point in Queens was lifted by mechanics in the area who were about to lose their business.
The film reminds us that Banksy helped Housing Works raise $615,000 for the homeless by donating a $50 painting he bought back to them (after adding a Nazi soldier and signing his name).
The Banksy piece at Zabar's on the Upper West Side has not been defaced or tagged over yet.
“Better Out Than In” may have been “the first hipster scavenger hunt.”
Two of our @Complexmag tweets made it into the documentary to show how Banksy's project took place online as much as it did offline.
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