James Patterson Essay

455 Words2 Pages
In the last lines of the introduction, James Patterson “As an Artist, Banksy is a Failure”, states “Ultimately, he must decide to show his face or to abandon street art altogether.” I disagree with this statement as Banksy is especially well known for being anonymous, you can mention his tagging pseudonyms or see his signature style and people will undoubtedly recognize it, but is there anyone who can tell you what he looks like? Banksy has good reasons for anonymity because some of his work is equated with vandalism on several occasions, and many have called for his prosecution and so staying hidden in the shadows is the best way to dodge this, ultimately granting the title of vandalism to his work. Patterson also states that “to continue working means to fail, since he will become more popular and successful.” What Patterson is saying…show more content…
Banksy himself says “We're not supposed to be embraced in that way. When you look at how society rewards so many of the wrong people, it's hard not to view financial reimbursement as a badge of self-serving mediocrity." This comment aligns with part of Patterson’s statement, but he still regards Banksy as a vandal. When discussing the reasons why Banksy could never succeed, Patterson makes a bold claim; “Every second Banksy lives, he fails, and never could really succeed. His place on the vanguard was an illusion.” Patterson fails to suggest why Banksy isn’t “on the vanguard”, as Banksy in my opinion is at the forefront of the street artist movement. It can be assumed that this is simply prejudice. Street artists are not seen as equal citizens in society, but seen as outlaws, rebels and vandals. Patterson’s criticism seems subject to bias on this inequality, because in my opinion I believe that Banksy is on the vanguard in his own way as he is at the forefront in the street art
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