When Art Went All Daring

I’ve noticed a number of stories in the media recently about artists who are somewhere between breaking the law, being artistic, and being downright cheeky.

A German art student dressed as one of China’s ‘terracotta warriors’ jumped into a pit showcasing the ancient statues and stood still for several minutes, before being scooped up by security guards. He was released without charge because he didn’t damage any of the 2,200 year old pottery soldiers.

Elsewhere a Bristol based graffiti artist, Banksy, who has been creating witty and political statements on walls around the world, has opened an exhibition with an elephant painted pink as a metaphor for world poverty problems. He also captures headlines by adding his own interpretations to art exhibits, placing his own work among the displays. He's also been found replacing Paris Hilton CDs with his own remixes.

Is anti-establishment art the new black? When does it go too far? To what extent do these rebel artists actually need the establishment?

While I do think some of these paintings are rather clever, I’m still not entirely sure I would want one on the outside wall of my house. Even worse are the impersonators – one ‘grafitti artist’ spray-painted himself all over my town before being arrested. I tried to take a cultural view of his work, some of it wasn’t too bad – but some was poorly done and simply made a bit of a painty mess.

No matter whether you think it’s vandalism or art, it’s fair to say that this new breed of painters and artists has captured the imagination of a public for whom ‘oil on canvas’ don’t really appeal to anymore.