Look!: Banksy at a Valero Gas Station?!

On a routine trip to the gas station, our list usually includes one or more of the following; fuel, a diet coke, perhaps a copy of the LA Times and the occasional bag of gummy bears. But not once has our list included taking in some intellectual art at the local Valero gas station--until now.

We first noticed these two silhouettes on opposite walls of the Valero gas station a few months ago. We always meant to go inside and ask the manager on duty the details but for one reason or another, we never made the trek inside. Not until an afternoon of research did we learn the artist of the silhouettes--Banksy, a British graffiti artist. Already a huge fan of the silhouette form in the care of an artists hands, these two renderings of young girls puts a smile on our face. Each time we drive by this particular gas station, a bit of inspiration sets in. Hearing that Banksy has made his mark on other Los Angeles facades, we're ready to go exploring.

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Comments (11)

I love Banksy... Here is more of his work...
http://www.banksy.co.uk/outdoors/horizontal_1.htm

posted by TCMB on August 15th 2008 at 7:40am
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Does anyone know how to tell if such works of art really are Banksy or another artist? I saw a few when I was in Italy, rats in particular, that I thought were his work, but I know there are copycats out there. Just curious.

posted by GinaAnn9 on August 15th 2008 at 7:44am
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banksy is so 2003. :0p

posted by closertotheocean on August 15th 2008 at 7:48am
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I thought he usually signed (aka stencilled "banksy") his work.

posted by emilykristin on August 15th 2008 at 7:56am
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oh, no, it is his.

posted by emilykristin on August 15th 2008 at 8:00am
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doesn't seem to be as detailed as his usual stuff. i'd say it's not him.

posted by dhue on August 15th 2008 at 8:57am
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Definitely a Banksy copy cat. His work is far more detailed with complicated stencil work.

But it's still nice.....

posted by prettygritty on August 15th 2008 at 9:43am
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agree, definitely copycat. still cool, though

posted by jeffro on August 15th 2008 at 10:19am
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I think they're real. What appears to be pictures of those exact two are on his website, the website the first commenter listed. Look at the walls. They're the same - same cracks in the same places, same color, etc. The only discrepency is in the stencil with the phone post. The website shows a bed of flowers and the AT picture shows some sort of metal box, but that could easily be explained by the angle of the photo, and the cracks on that wall are the same. I vote real.

posted by amjthree on August 15th 2008 at 10:53am
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the mcdonalds of graffitti.
i liked him more 4 years ago.

posted by antimatt on August 15th 2008 at 12:39pm
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here's one from banksy's website...it also has a tv antenna.

http://www.banksy.co.uk/outdoors/horizontal_1.htm

posted by miss sparrow on January 30th 2009 at 6:57pm
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