Banksy, who, I am sure, most people are at least familiar with, is an anonymous English street artist. He has been active for over thirty years, creating art as a political and social statement. One of his most famous works is "Balloon Girl", which is a stencil that depicts a young girl reaching out to a red balloon, which happens to be the only color throughout the artwork. Banksy’s painting of "Balloon Girl" was sold at an auction in 2018, and right when it was sold, the picture frame started to shred the painting. This was the first artwork to be created live during an auction. Banksy did this in protest of the commercialism in the art world, which did end up backfiring because the painting was then worth even more.
Most of Banksy’s work all has some message to it. "Balloon girl", for example, symbolizes the lost innocence that children in conflict and war zones experience. Others include “Love is in the Air,” which depicts a protester with a mask on, throwing flowers instead of something harmful. This represents the choice to turn violence into peace. There are many more powerful artworks that Banksy has created; however, those are the ones that are most well-known.
In Culture Care, Fujimara mentions how we have done little to cultivate the soil of culture for the next generation and how efforts made to plant seeds culturally will most likely not yield any significant results for some time. He does then go on to mention how, when under the right conditions and care, “rapid regeneration” is possible after a major disaster. Fujimara uses the example of volcanoes and forest fires. Banksy’s work is a good example of how regeneration is possible. His work has a clear message and has reached a lot of people. His work didn't necessarily happen as a result of a major disaster, but more as a result of a buildup of tensions, politically and socially.
I remember when "Balloon Girl" was shredded and seeing it all over the news. Even if it wasn't the result that Banksy was going for it immediately gave me much more respect for his work and provided a better understanding of exactly what kind of artist he was. What I really enjoy about his work is that he uses very simple symbolism (such as the flowers in "Love is in the air") yet the viewer can immediately understand what he is trying to say.
ReplyDeleteI studied abroad in London and went out of my way to visit some of Banksy's street art. Specifically, I saw his "portrait of Basquiat being welcomed by Metropolitan Police." I love his style and the meaning behind this work.
ReplyDeleteI love how you compared the buildup of tensions to a natural disaster such as a volcano!
I really enjoyed this post because I think the theme of planting cultural seeds is something that is often overlooked in modern times. Because people can sometimes be caught up in cultivating themselves or a microcosm of culture, we forget the lasting effects art and creation can have on that which comes after us, and what it can do to change how we view history as well. Visually I have never loved Banksy's art but this post made me see it in a new light, and understand a bit more about the significance of the protestor throwing flowers as well, thanks.
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