Put it in the Banksy…

It was a Sunday afternoon on Long Island NY - just driving around to pass the time.

I pulled to a stop on a gravelly driveway , leading up to what looked like an old warehouse.

Approaching the concrete structure, I see there are folding tables outside the loading dock. The tables are covered with toys and various items for sale , and I can see that the large warehouse loading bay doors are open , and the shady interior of the building is beckoning. It looks cool and tempting on this hot summer afternoon.

There is a lady inside the front office, who is photographing women’s’ high-end designer clothes and shoes, to list them for online sale. When I approach, she seems happy to be distracted from her task.

“Hello!”, she says with a big smile “There’s stuff for sale up here- lots of good clothes and boots-Gucci , and the stuff outside-and there’s Art too, if you like art…”

And she shoots me a look 👀

“Do you like Art?” She asks.

“I guess it depends what kind of Art”, I said in response, “But, Yes.”

As my eyes are adjusting to the low light of the warehouse, I notice that the bulk of the space , beyond the office area, is occupied by enormous towering rows of storage racks , stretching 20 feet high up to the steel girded ceiling . The shelves were loaded with pallets of vending machine snacks.

“My husband”, she says, “ He does vending machines. Here, follow me. I want to show you something”

As she leads the way through the snack labyrinth, I notice several boxes on the ground which are filled with printed paper shopping bags bearing the image of Felix the Cat , and above his face the words “Too Cute”.

So the lady says, “im gonna tell you a secret …ok , I’m not supposed to tell anybody ….

And as she leads me through this cavernous warehouse , to a carpeted back storage room , and opens the door she continues, “ do you know Banksy , the Artist?”

I nodded, “ yeah…”

“Well,” she continued, “ Terry is Banksy .”

The room she led me to was filled with large, brightly colored fiberglass sculptures of cartoon characters. A six foot tall Betty Boop, a faux-rock TV set from the Flintstones , the Big Bad Wolf from Tex Avery’s ‘Red Hot Riding Hood’….the Pink Panther…

“These are his - well, mister Brainwash- that’s what he calls himself on these “, she said as she rolled her eyes playfully.

I was like, “yup”.

I wound up buying two vintage 1960s MCM Toucan lamps - original issue ( needed a little wiring)- no Sculptures.

But then again I wasn’t there for that.

It was just a yard sale.