L.A. Got Banksy-ed

What's that live pink elephant have to do with the British tagger Banksy? Isn't he the guy whose chosen animal is the rat--symbol of those other repugnant creatures like graffiti artists and unkempt, baggy-pants teens? Well, maybe both animals are what Banksy's all about. If he sees the rat as representing those obnoxious outsiders who are constantly criticizing, carping and condeming society's conventions and mores, the elephant is also a potent metaphor. It's the "elephant in the dining room," the hugely important family issue that no one is willing to confront and air out during communal time around dinner. It represents what society cannot or will not face--the great issues that so deeply affect the artist. His subversive art challenges the injustice and cruelty he sees all around him. "Essentially, it's about what a horrible place the world is, how...pointless life is." Scanning the blogs and articles about Banksy's "Barely Legal" show, people were certainly focusing on that elephant. But they didn't seem to really get the point it made.

See photos of Banksy's L.A. tour at

http://flickr.com/photos/45208212@N00/