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24 Kobe Bryant Murals From Artists Honoring His Legacy That Are Almost As Iconic As He Was
Kobe's legacy transcended borders and touched the whole world. Now, the whole world is responding.
30 January 2020
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Around the world artists are creating incredible pieces in tribute to the late Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash earlier this week.
Though the pain of losing someone so iconic is large, these works of art show just how much Kobe transcended borders and just how long his legacy will live on all around the world.
1, Manila, Philippines
LOOK: Kobe Bryant fans in the Philippines painted a giant mural in a basketball court as a tribute to the NBA star… https://t.co/UbsNwl6fLD— Bloomberg QuickTake (@Bloomberg QuickTake) 1580244155.0
2, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Someone has painted a portion of Central Square Graffiti Alley with a stunning tribute to Kobe Bryant and daughter… https://t.co/IUUT0B7NqF— Only In Boston (@Only In Boston) 1580158989.0
3, Melbourne, Australia
So @lushsux just completed this epic Kobe Bryant tribute mural here in Melbourne. Easily one of the best things you… https://t.co/DQjhI2dnSi— Adam Howes (@Adam Howes) 1580199557.0
4 – 11, Los Angeles, California
🕊 KOBE & GIGI FOREVER 🕊 (Mural by: @JulesMuck) https://t.co/r4emVhLjfh— Complex (@Complex) 1580150168.0
He made a portrait of Kobe Bryant with Rubik's Cubes 👏 (via @brundagemagic) https://t.co/qzH4MM0O5B— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) 1580312172.0
Makeshift memorial at the Kobe mural across from the Convention Center near Staples. https://t.co/hb8A2EpiIp— cain! (@cain!) 1580082766.0
A Kobe Bryant mural in Los Angeles has turned into a memorial. (🎥: @/aliarosenoelle) https://t.co/Xw8AKs3zoc— Girls United (@Girls United) 1580094448.0
Went around the block to get a picture of the new Kobe Black Mamba mural on Chicago & Cesar Chavez Ave. What a beau… https://t.co/FibzU9uNQP— Boyle Heights Teacher (@Boyle Heights Teacher) 1580353764.0
Beautiful mural of Kobe and GiGi being painted on the side of a building in Studio City on Ventura Boulevard. Fans… https://t.co/B8QsZgPOd7— Tommy Harris Jr. Photog @KCBS @KCAL @CBSNEWSPATH (@Tommy Harris Jr. Photog @KCBS @KCAL @CBSNEWSPATH) 1580167867.0
Kobe mural in progress on 1st and La Brea in LA by Levi Ponce. Watching him work is the opposite of watching paint… https://t.co/YS4fynqLSC— Emily Valdez KNX 1070 (@Emily Valdez KNX 1070) 1580338558.0
12 – 14, Atlanta, Georgia
A mural honoring the late Kobe Bryant is in the works at Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark in Atlanta. https://t.co/VKV4gwrv8o— Everything Georgia (@Everything Georgia) 1580153112.0
WATCH: Atlanta artist Era finishing an amazing mural honoring Kobe Bryant at the Historic Fourth Ward Park @cbs46 https://t.co/lpRzYR2gu2— Jasmina Alston (@Jasmina Alston) 1580228755.0
Walked by this Kobe Bryant mural on the @AtlantaBeltLine . One of my favorite Kobe quotes that I think we all need… https://t.co/Gc7jegTkNz— Alison Mastrangelo (@Alison Mastrangelo) 1580157442.0
15, Salt Creek Beach, California
Honoring Kobe Bryant with a sand mural at Salt Creek. A true legend and inspiration to everyone in both life and sp… https://t.co/Yl2f6skThs— World Surf League (@World Surf League) 1580167577.0
16, Pleasanton, California
115-foot tall by 92-foot wide grass mural in NorCal is only visible by aerial view and features #KobeBryant smiling… https://t.co/lC7xRI1pjL— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7 Eyewitness News) 1580393168.0
17, Dakar, Senegal
18, Dallas, Texas
Gianna and Kobe Bryant mural in Dallas @Ponchaveli_com finished it around 3am today. 💜💛💜 #KobeBryant… https://t.co/7LMEcb2t51— Tiffany Liou (@Tiffany Liou) 1580229016.0
19, York, Pennsylvania
RT York Street artists are in the process of transforming the Penn Street Art bridge into a mural for Kobe Bryant a… https://t.co/VgWwx5phQY— The Coach Radar (@The Coach Radar) 1580371276.0
20, Salt Lake City, Utah
People all over Salt Lake are paying tribute to the NBA legend, @kobebryant. 🙏🏾 Spotted this beautiful new mural on… https://t.co/Yy05BHot1e— Wayne On Air (@Wayne On Air) 1580357338.0
21, Miami, Florida
Local Artist Creates Epic Kobe Bryant Mural in Miami - Heat Nation https://t.co/7LqMMs6Knm— Ricardo William (@Ricardo William) 1580345480.0
22, Lavington, New South Wales
Just hours after the death of Kobe Bryant on Monday, a mural of the NBA great popped up on the Border. @bordermail https://t.co/UllvxCuHmD— Vivienne Jones (@Vivienne Jones) 1580341051.0
23, Houston, Texas
RIP, Kobe! There's a new mural in Houston honoring the Lakers legend. 🙏 🎥: @KHOU MORE: https://t.co/hWbYjPTYB1 https://t.co/q9UrtX0Knq— KVUE News (@KVUE News) 1580340402.0
24, Duarte, California
Incredible masterpiece by @Duarte_ASB President, Noelle, in tribute to Kobe. This is but one example of the beauty,… https://t.co/GyqMiaDsSy— Duarte Unified (@Duarte Unified) 1580309783.0
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'Exit Through The Gift Shop' Is Banksy's Digital Street Art
The film depicts and comments on the world of street art with the charm of self-awareness.
Remember when that one painting shredded itself after being sold for $1.4 million? That was British street artist Banksy's doing. Despite his rejection of traditional art critics, Banksy's pieces often sell for millions of dollars. There are many who refuse to call his work "real" due to the fact that it is a product of vandalism. His supporters acknowledge that his work is vandalism, which, in tandem with his revolutionary choices in location, style, and subject matter, is precisely what makes it an exemplar of modern art. Regardless of one's opinion of him, Banksy, no doubt holds a position of authority in the modern art world in which everything he creates is a subject of widespread attention, whether it be disparagement or appreciation.
It is perhaps because of this worldwide captivation that "Exit Through the Gift Shop," Banksy's 2010 foray into film-making, comes with considerable accolades. The Academy Award-nominated documentary brings much of the graffiti artist's abrasive commentary to the big screen. With narration from both Banksy and Welsh actor Rhys Ifans, the film acts a self-aware examination of street art, exploring both subtle works like those of British artist Invader to the grand-scale pieces of Banksy himself. This exploration calls into question the public's notions of modern art while also considering what even determines if art is valid.
While Banksy's directs the film, he is neither behind the camera nor the focus of it throughout most of the movie. "Exit" quickly clarifies how that honor goes to Thierry Guetta, a Frenchman from Los Angeles who owned a designer clothing store. What does he have to do with street art or this movie?Everyone involved in the movie asks the same question, but whether he deserves the attention or not, Thierry is stuck with viewers from start to end. Ifans explains how the Frenchman is usually found holding a video camera in front of his eyes, documenting every moment. When Thierry stumbles upon his street artist cousin Invader designing pixel templates for art to be placed on street side walls and rooftops, what follows is his rapid introduction to the world of street art as he films every artist—whether they want him to or not—in the hopes of eventually creating his own documentary about the subject. The journey takes him to the skepticism of Banksy, the interrogation rooms of Disneyworld, and the rooftops of LA, where he even begins to craft his own street art.
It becomes clear why Banksy turned Thierry's cameras around to capture the amateur filmmaker in action. In every scene where he is the subject, Thierry shines with this charismatic joy that borders on annoyance. Other individuals express in their disdain for him, as a supposed imbecile incapable of real artistry, yet he continues to frantically film and create, rarely showing a sign of disillusionment. In one scene he swears in French about how he spilled paint, and seconds later he emphatically tells the camera to get closer to inspect the pink puddle. Some of his interviews are at times nearly incomprehensible, illustrating how he is a perplexing enigma, hypocrisy, an artist who should not be able to attain the success that he does. Thierry, for better or for worse, will make or break a viewer's impression of "Exit Through the Gift Shop."
Banksy pulls together crisp editing and his manic subject to construct a self-aware work that comments on how we perceive art. All of the professional artists believe Thierry's work isn't genuine. Yet the public, finds him a captivating artist, regardless of his frenetic personality. The film, in spite of Banksy's careful direction, is a product and representation of Thierry's haphazard creations and behavior. But just as "Exit" somehow succeeds by using the chaotic source material to find meaning in the madness, so too does Thierry seem to find something magical, practically brainwashing his audience into believing in him and his ingenuity. Whether that means he is a true artist like Banksy is open for debate, but the documentary is a convincing film not afraid to show and criticize the means of its creation.
"Exit Through the Gift Shop" is a film that shouldn't work. And for some, it won't work. The absurdity of a random Frenchman with a camera becoming an artist is likely too much for skeptical viewers. But for those who can digest it, the documentary offers an insightful perspective on modern perceptions of art that is worth watching—even if it feels like an artificial production. In other words, the director has once again gotten away with something that seems delusional, creating a digital Banksy.