A good, old-fashioned pissing contest is brewing across the pond, as Banksy (arguably the most famous contemporary graffiti artist) and Robbo (a 1980s London graffito who disappeared off the scene 16 years ago) duke it out in the public arena. The feud started over a patch of wall on Regent’s Canal in the Camden district of London, where Banksy covered up a Robbo tag that had existed in peace for 25 years. Now Robbo — a 40-year-old shoe repairman — has come out of his self-imposed exile to defend his legacy. Related: graffiti is now so mainstream that its catfights get profiled in The Wall Street Journal.
Proof of the slight, in which Banksy covers up the oldest surviving graffiti in London, a piece done by Robbo in 1985.
The now 40-year-old cobbler painted this tag on Regent’s Canal twenty-five years ago. (Photo credit: Citrus Topnote.)
It looked about the same until Banksy painted over Robbo’s mural and Robbo got mad. (Photo credit: David Stuart.)
And then Robbo got even. (Photo: Gabriele Steinhauser/ Wall Street Journal.)
Asserting that “graffiti writers are Team Robbo, street artists are Team Banksy,” Robbo has made it a personal mission to modify all the other Banksy pieces around the canal. Though both fellows are, in fact, anonymous, Robbo makes a good point about the fundamental difference between the two. Graffiti artists bomb wherever their little hearts please, whereas artists like Banksy — accurately described by the Journal as “both renegade and establishment darling” — shoot for an underlying message.
In his own defense, Banksy stated through a spokesperson: “I didn’t paint over a ‘Robbo’ piece. I painted over a piece that said ‘mrphfgdfrhdgf’. I find it surreal when graffiti writers get possessive over certain locations. I thought that having a casual attitude towards property ownership was an essential part of being a vandal.”
Every spat has a subtext, of course. WSJ goes into the pair’s history:
A few years later, Robbo says he encountered Banksy, who was just surfacing, in an East London bar. After a fellow graffiti writer introduced them, Robbo says that Banksy replied, “I’ve never heard of you.” Robbo says he cuffed Banksy in the face, sending his glasses flying. “You may not have heard of me, but you will never forget me,” Robbo says he told Banksy. The two haven’t spoken since.
And there you have it: London is to sandbox as street artists are to schoolchildren.
Comments (19)
Well first of all Bansky’s got way more style and can control than Robbo’s got which he proved by leaving the dope character that Bansky painted and just added some dated lettering calling himself King. My question is King of what? It’s obviously not graffiti with that style. Personally I think Robbo should have let it as it was with a part of the past still in tact so you could of blamed your style on what actually was passable at the time. Sorry Robbo just tell’n it like it is.
As much as I love Bansky work I dont think he should of covered over a good piece of art that had stood there giving pleasure for years, theres plenty of stuff out there that needs to be covered over, dont cover over the good work!
GET A LIFE ROBBO
As much as I support Banksy and his artwork, he shouldn’t have painted over Robbo’s tag. I think it’s showing an eventual transition from Banksy street art to Banksy regular art. He’s not showing much respect for his roots.
ya banksy art is better, he uses stencils so its not exactly free-hand, but he showing no respect to his roots that piece has been there since 1985 he must have been one of the first writers in london
Banksy is a bitch, stop falling in love with a piece of shit. His art is childish, not because it’s street art, but because its ideas are very rudimentary. Not that that’s always a bad thing, but hailing him as some sort of jesus as the internet does is ridiculous. Every message in his art is on the surface, and though it can be humorous, it isn’t deep.
@ Rion..
Can control.. Banksy uses stencils. You need no can control for that crap. Put up cardboard, spray widly over it. There’s little style involved, anyone can make an image in their living room, cut it out and go quickly stencil it on a wall. It’s a cheap shortcut where can control isn’t needed at all.
& in regards to Robbos lettering : ‘It’s obviously not graffiti with that style’
WTF? That’s graffiti. Banksy’s stencils are not real graffiti.
Straight letters are fundamental in graff. Robbo is a graff writer, Banksy is a street stencil artist.
And again a nice publicity stunt from banksy.
It is getting kind a boring…
Banksy makes satirical political statements.
Robbo writes his name.
This action by Robbo may force Banksy to start creating something other than cliche coffee table discussion pieces for the middle class.
WoW 25 years and it’s ruined by a stencil, way to be a douche.
I hope this doesn’t turn into a team Robbo, team banksy situation.
Robbo is an asshole bully who is after fame and got pissed off that Banksy didn’t give a ff who he was. Banksy makes statements with his art and it is a thinking artist..Robbo sounds like an idiot who has a quarter of a brain…maybe too much spray paint fried his ass…idiot!
“Banksy is a thinking artist”?, “Banksy makes satirical political statements”? JESUS WEPT! If Banksy is your idea of ‘thinking satire’ then there is truly no hope for you.
Banksy simply does graffiti that appeals to people who don’t like graffiti. Rather obvious pop-culture referencing, combined with tired political cliché. That’s it, nothing more.
Real graff (Writing) is all too impenetrable for the ‘outsider’, which is why the public will always be more drawn to pictorial work. “What’s a ROBBO?…That’s not art, there’s no pictures. Where’s the oh so clever reference to Iraq/bankers/climate change etc?……Ah, that’s better, a nice picture of some kids saluting a carrier bag! See, it’s political AND funny! Isn’t consumerism shit?! Now let’s go buy a Banksy book/print/T-shirt/DVD/see his movie etc etc.”
The ROBBO piece in question is a simple, quick, raw street blam, that’s all. It has no greater purpose other than to give a very necessary metaphorical slap. Its not intended for a series of Athena prints you can give your Mum at Christmas!
Real Writers will be out painting our towns, cities and trains long after the likes of Banksy and the hoards of art school imitators have left Brick Lane!
Long live KING ROBBO!
Shout to all PFB Crew!
PS.
To the commenter who claimed ROBBO lacks Banksy’s can control. Why do you think Banksy uses stencils? The boy couldn’t paint for sh*t and knew it so switched to an easier technique. He admits this himself!
You Yanks love Banksy so much you can have him!…… Provided we can have SENTO in return!
Rion- King of what you ask well seeing as his peice wasn’t touched for 25 years that’d make him a king of london nah derrrrrrrr!
To the gronk that said robbo is doing this for the fame if some little upstart stenciling art fag who obviously has no understanding of graffiti caps one of my pieces in 25 years (should one stay around that long) I’ll start capping their shit too.
on banksys website it shows how the piece looked like it was tagged to shit it looked terrible. so banksy decided to pretty it up. so robbo is just overreacting and hating on banksy
haha…
Robbo is a joke! Banksy is the King out there, His stencils are much better than most Traditional Graffiti Pieces in Big Citys.
Robbo you can go home, The Stage is reserved for real artists like Swoon, Banksy or Shepard Fairey
peace out
Yeah, “real” graffiti is to Put YOUR NAME in very big letters, in a way that nobody can see YOUR NAME? Who does a f**k about your name in big letters.
Bansky is much more original than any of the others, he is the one that really change the very boring graffiti street scene and his message is not that easy, he makes big point with just few.
Robbo is just and old child
if robbo wanted a legacy, graffiti ain’t the way to go. and besides, who gives a shit about legacy?
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