King Robbo
King Robbo is an English underground graffiti artist who became more widely known following a graffiti war with Banksy.[1] There had been a previous meeting between Robbo and Banksy in the nineties during which Robbo claimed he slapped Banksy,[2] a claim Banksy denied. A Channel 4 documentary "Graffiti Wars" about the feud was first shown in August 2011.
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Works[edit]
Robbo painted his first train in 1985 and the ‘Merry Christmas’ train of 1988, a joint piece created with "Drax WD", received coverage on ITV news and in the Independent.[3]
The feud with Banksy led to a rise in Robbo's profile and he began entering the commercial art world with a solo show at Pure Evil Gallery in Shoreditch and commissions in 2010/11.[4] In February 2011 he painted a giant portrait for the opening of the film Yelling to the Sky on a wall on the Kunsthaus Tacheles, Berlin.[5]
Feud with Banksy[edit]
In 1985 King Robbo painted a large full colour graffiti piece called Robbo Incorporated on a wall beside Regent's Canal [6] in Camden, London which was only accessible by water. Over the years it became degraded with a few small pieces of graffiti over the top. In 2009 a stencil artist, allegedly Banksy, covered most of it with a stencil of a workman pasting wallpaper. On Christmas Day 2009 Robbo destroyed Banksy's piece by covering the work so the workman appeared to be painting King Robbo in silver letters. Three days later the letters Fuc appeared before the King.[7][8] Tit-for-tat overpainting continued at the site with artwork and insults including a picture of Top Cat leaning on a gravestone with the words "R.I.P. Banksy's career".
This incident led to online outrage against Banksy and a graffiti war with many of Banksy's other works being altered by "Team Robbo" - notable ones including the piece Hitchhiker to Anywhere where the "anywhere" was changed to "going nowhere".[2]
Injury and coma[edit]
On April 2, 2011 King Robbo sustained a life threatening head injury 5 days prior to his exhibition at the Signal Gallery, Shoreditch: 'Team Robbo - The Sell Out Tour'. It is believed the injury happened as a result of an accidental fall.[6] His recovery has been slow [9] and as of December 2011 he remained in an induced coma.[6]
In November 2011, the Camden Robbo mural was painted over with a black and white depiction of the original with the additions of a crown and a can of spray paint with a hazard symbol of a flame above it. It was done by Banksy as a tribute to him and as an effort to end the feud in a sense of "lighting a candle" for Robbo who was still in comatose condition.[10][11][12]
The mural was restored to its original form with slight changes by the other members of "Team Robbo" on December 24, 2011, Christmas Eve.[11][13]
The restoration has since peeled away to leave the black and white tribute to Robbo, as of September 2012.[14]
See also[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: King Robbo |
References[edit]
- ^ Alberge, Dalya. The Observer, National: STREET ART: Banksy furious at TV claims over graffiti feud 4th September 2011
- ^ a b By Jo Fuertes-Knight. "My Graffiti War with Banksy By King Robbo". Sabotage Times.
- ^ "Robbo galley". Team Robbo. April 3, 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ "Street Artist Robbo Headlines New Graffiti Exhibition". Londonist. June 29, 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ Scott Macaulay (February 26, 2011). "Robbo in Berlin for "Yelling to the Sky"". Filmmaker magazine. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ a b c Evans, Daniel Banksy calls for graffiti show inquiry Western Daily Press 7th September 2011
- ^ By Jo Fuertes-Knight. "My Graffiti War with Banksy By King Robbo". Sabotage Times.
- ^ Matilda Battersby (21 April 2011). "The gloves are off: Graffiti legend King Robbo has resurfaced to settle a score with Banksy". The Independent. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ "King Robbo Update - 26/04/2011". LondonCityGraff. April 26, 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ "‘Robbo inc.’ returns courtesy of Banksy?". Street Art London. November 11, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ a b "Robbo Piece Reproduced by Team Robbo (Camden)". London Street Art Design Magazine, Issue 8 - Walls of Perception OUT NOW. January 11, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ "Banksy - Questions". Banksy Official Site. November 12, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ^ Jon Hammer (December 29, 2011). "Winter Warmer- Robbo Ruin Restored!". Jon Hammer - Painting and Graffiti. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ "Banksy vs Team Robbo - Timeline". LDNGraffiti. July 12, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
