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Comment by chris_l | Hacker News Reader

I think the opening is a statement about how the art is taken out of the modern simpsons by the way they are produced. The links in the opening are the asian workers and the sadness in their depiction. This fits with banksys regular theme about the value of art and its opposition to commerce. Subtle enough?

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I'd be more bought into Banksy's opposition to commerce if he wasn't regularly selling work for five and six figures, not to mention the five books he's published.

Fight the system yeah?

He doesn't stoop down to such slogans.

I'd venture it's not commerce but commercialisation he's opposed to.

You don't think five books of your work commercialises it? That's not exactly being in it for the love of it is it?

Having anarchist sympathies, this is something I've given a lot of thought to. But basically, there's a difference between 'surviving' and 'selling out.' Banksy's gotta live, too. As long as he doesn't feel that he's had to compromise on his vision to release them, then I don't see any particular clash between being anti-commercial and selling some work.

There's always a tension between the purity of the message and how many people actually hear it. Banksy could stay totally anti-commercial, do no shows, publish no works... and just stay on the streets of London. Or, he could sell some works for 5 figures, do his art around the world, and have a larger number of people hear his message.

I see your point but the total value of the work he's sold over the past 5 years is in excess of £500,000 and that's not including books, documentaries and so on. In a country where the national average salary is under £25,000 he's hardly at subsistence level is he?

In terms of the message, yes he gets a wider audience but he gets a wider audience for a weaker message. When you're wealthy and Brad Pitt is buying your stuff (I think I'm remembering that right) being counter-culture and anti-commercialism doesn't really ring true.

Not saying I disagree with the decisions he's made, just that inevitably success will undermine his artistic position.

In a way, his message is satrically funny.

The hollywood machine will pay for the noose that hangs themselves, as long as they make money in the next 6 months.

They haven't hung themselves yet.

We all love hacking, and try to make as much money from it as possible.

Making money and making your work available for mass consumption is not orthogonal to loving your work.

Would you prefer his work sold for less?

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