Almost twenty years have passed since the famous mural “Pulp Fiction” appeared on a London wall, the stencil with which the streetartist Banksy paid homage to the cult of Quentin Tarantino. While the Rome Film Fest confers the Lifetime Achievement Award to the American director, the original screen printing taken from that mural continues to be auctioned at international auctions at staggering figures. One of the very rare numbered copies is housed in “Art in a Material World”, a large group exhibition presented by the Restelliartco Gallery. in Rome which brings together important names of the national and international art scene, from 25 October to 30 November on the occasion of the Rome Art Week 2021, the most important Capitoline Festival dedicated to contemporary art and experimentation.
Banksy's world-famous Pulp Fiction mural
it first appeared in 2002 near a London Underground stop on Old Street. In 2007, however, Transport for London, the local authority responsible for transport in the English capital, covered the work. Shortly after, a local artist left a fairly eloquent writing on the wall, "Come back", addressing it to the anonymous street artist. Banksy, accepted the invitation and shortly after, he did the work again but with a significant change: instead of guns, the two protagonists, Vincent Vega and Jules Winnifield, in the film played by John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson, are holding bananas. An ironic gesture that invites you to lay down your arms, pulling a smile. Bananas are an evident reference to the monkey, an iconic and favorite animal in Banksy's artistic production; also you can find an obvious one
link to the cover of the “Velvet Underground” album designed by Andy Warhol in 1967
.
All about Banksy:
Charisma, personality, black humor, these are the characteristics of the streeartist; the same ones that have brought him to the attention of the public ever since, in the 90s, when he was just eighteen he made quick night raids on the streets of Bristol with his crew of writers to let his ideas speak through stencils. These are the years in which house music arrives from Chicago, the first clandestine raves, the years of the gypsy community, the influences of Blek le rat; in 1988 Jean-Michael Basquiat died, his message and his art spread all over the world. A universe of artistic, cultural and musical contaminations that will push Banksy to want to amaze, subvert a system, make people think, move consciences. About
his true identity
Over the years, countless hypotheses have been advanced: that it was actually a woman, that they were a collective of artists, or that behind the name the graffiti artist Robert Del Naja of the
Massive Attack
musical group was hiding
.
The mystery seems destined not to melt and is certainly part of the popularity and desirability surrounding the artist.
For sure for now there is only his date of birth 1973 and his hometown, Bristol
and the works that denounce distortions, injustices, that celebrate the true heroes and demonize false myths in every part of the world.