One of Banksy’s most recent creations is this mural depicting the EU Flag but with a twist. On the right hand side we see that one of the stars is being chipped away by a worker on a ladder. It’s clear to see that Banksy is actively critiquing Brexit. Displaying Britains exit from the EU. The chosen destination( as always with Banksy’s work) has strong connotations. Dover is a coastal destination in Britain ,famous for its white cliffs and host to ferries which take people across the sea to Europe. The artwork explains how Brexit will effect everything including easy travel between Europe.

If we look closer at the mural (picture above) we can see why Banksy has chosen this wall. The cracks stemming from the star that is being chipped away implies that due to Brexit its won’t be just Britain that suffers but, the whole of Europe. It demonstrates Banksy’s political stance against Brexit . He implies that leaving will not only cause damage to Britain but to every county in the EU and the cracks are evidently starting to show.

‘The European flag symbolises both the European Union and, more broadly, the identity and unity of Europe.It features a circle of 12 gold stars on a blue background. They stand for the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe.The number of stars has nothing to do with the number of member countries, though the circle is a symbol of unity.'(The European flag, 2015). Banksy as an art activist, has visually discussed how the UK have destroyed everything the EU and the flag stands for.

Britain chose to Leave the EU after referendum was held on Thursday 23 June, 2016. Where 51.9% of the UK chose to leave with over 30 million people voting. The choice to leave is a destructive one as the EU was initially created after the Second World War with the idea that countries that trade together are less likely to go to war with one another.So what does this say to Europe and mean for The UK after leaving this economic and political partnership. Ultimately it looks like a slap in the face to all remaining 27 countries.

The original date for the UK to leave the EU was 29 March 2019. However due to the withdrawal agreement being rejected 3 times by British MP’s it has been delayed to the 31st of October 2019. Unless they come to an agreement before that date. Banksy’s piece seems to have foretold the falling apart of the UK Government through the crumbling of the Star. Will Britain ever accept a deal from the EU, only time will tell.

Bibliography

Ellis-Petersen, H. (2017, May 8). Banksy Brexit mural of man chipping away at EU flag appears in Dover. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/may/07/banksy-brexit-mural-dover-eu-flag

KOPOTSHA, J. (2017, May 8). Unpicking Banksy’s Brexit Mural Of A Man Chiseling Away At The EU Flag. Retrieved from GRAZIA: https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/real-life/banksy-brexit-mural-dover/

Morris, B. W. (2019, May 10). Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU. Retrieved from BBC NEWS: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32810887

The European flag. (2015). Retrieved from European Union: https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/symbols/flag_en

This artwork depicts 2 (supposedly male) police officers both kissing within a loving embrace. This piece was made in the same year that the UK passed the Civil Partnership Act, which allowed same-sex couples to legally enter into binding partnerships, similar to marriage.This was a huge accomplishment for the LGBTQ community. This piece was painted on the side of the Prince Albert pub in Brighton originally.However it was then replaced with a copy protected by perspex, as the original was taken to the USA to be sold at auction.

I think the location for this work was carefully chosen. Brighton is commonly referred to as the LGBTQ Capital of the UK. A reputation the residents are very proud of. Banksy’s knew that it would create an impact here and a positive one at that.It is clear to see that through this artwork Banksy is calling for a society wide acceptance of Sexual Identity and he thought Brighton was the place to do it.

The use of the Police Uniform is intriguing. Is Banksy’s trying to reflect the authority’s acceptance of Same-sex couples due to the Civil Partnership Act. As he has placed these authoritative figures in Pro-gay Imagery.In a way the piece is also comical as it depicts these figures of authority in a vulnerable position, in the medium that they work so hard to get rid off. This irony is a common theme in Banksy’s work .In the UK graffiti can be considered a crime under the Criminal Image Law of 1971 Anyone caught in this act will face a fine if the damage is over £5,000 or up to 10 years in prison.

As always Banksy’s artwork explores controversial debates relevant to the time we live in. His work aims to insight this debate among the people which is why it is so important his work is created in a public space. The use of the graffiti is a battle against the automotive figures that try to suppress his views. Many believe this piece is an attack on homophobes. However others believe that it is a celebration of Gay Rights which is made more prominent by the authoritative figures. Police are always present at Brightons biggest annual event Brighton Pride. In 2005 more than 120,000 people took part.With approxiamately 20 uniformed officers and staff from Sussex Police leading the parade with the Gay Police Association flag flying outside Brighton Police Station. Perhaps the supportiveness of the police at this event is what Banksy has attempted to celebrate here. For once perhaps he isn’t criticising the authorities but commending them.

Bibliography

Dryden, S. (n.d.). A short history of LGBT rights in the UK.Retrieved from The British Library: https://www.bl.uk/lgbtq-histories/articles/a-short-history-of-lgbt-rights-in-the-uk

ELIZACOURT1. (2018, April 13). DESIGN DIALOGUE. Retrieved from The Kissing Police Officers: https://wordpress57027.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/the-kissing-police-officers/

LGBT+ Liberal Democrats. (2005, August 8). Brighton Pride. Retrieved from LGBT+ Liberal Democrats: https://lgbt.libdems.org.uk/en/article/2005/0085452/brighton-pride

Moco. (n.d.). Banksy – Kissing Coppers. Retrieved from Moco Mueseum: https://mocomuseum.com/stories/kissing-coppers/

Press Association. (2014, Feb 19). Banksy’s Kissing Coppers – taken from a pub wall in Brighton – sells for $575,000 in US. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/feb/19/banksy-mural-kissing-coppers-sells-us

• 

Banksy’s Dismaland opened on the 21st of August 2015 and closed on the 27th of September 2015. He described his work as a “family theme park unsuitable for small children”. The pop-up exhibition was situated on an unused lido in the seaside resort town of Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, England.It featured artworks from many different artists such as a sculpture depicting paparazzi taking photographs of a crash site of Cinderellas carriage, with her dead body spilling out of the wreckage. It’s said that this is reference to Princess Diana’s death. Pictured below.

As comical and as sarcastic as this exhibition is , it is clearly full of serious and political debates which are discussed through the eyes of anarchism. One piece of art depicts a model boat, over crowded with people floating on water. It is clearly a statement about Europes Refugee Crisis in 2015.Where hundreds of thousands of people fled their countries and homes to cross the Mediterranean Sea, to escape the problem of war and persecution.

‘The European Border and Coast Guard Agency collects data on illegal crossings of the EU’s external borders registered by national authorities. In 2015 and 2016, more than 2.3 million illegal crossings were detected.’ (Society , 2017)Since 1993 a group  called ;United for Intercultural Action has been keeping count of the lives lost at sea whilst trying to reach Europe. On World Refugee Day (Wednesday 20th June 2018) a list of 34,361 migrants and refugees who were known to have died on this journey was released. ‘The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said the number of migrants drowning and suffocating on sea crossings so far this year (2016) has almost surpassed the death toll for the whole of 2015.’

During the time of Banksy’s exhibition Thousands of people gathered to march the streets of London in protest to the Refugee Crisis on the 12th of September 2015 . The march was filled with supporters holding banners saying ‘ Refugees Welcome’ and similar messages of support. It was held 3 days ahead of an emergency talk on the Refugee crisis, in the hopes that it would illustrate the important message that Europe should no longer stand by and let thousands of people die in their journey for a better life.

As always Banksy’s work is Art Activism at its finest. He discusses current debates and issues in a way which can strongly impact the public and evoke contemplation.

Bibliography

Green.C. (2015,August 21st). Dismaland: Banksy’s ‘bemusement park’ is deeply unsettling… but bizarrely entertaining. Retrieved from the independent:https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/dismaland-banksys-bemusement-park-is-deeply-unsettling-but-bizarrely-entertaining-10465485.html

Dearden, L. (2016, October 26th). 2016: The deadliest year ever for refugees trying to reach Europe. Retrieved from Independent: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/refugee-crisis-latest-2016-numbers-figures-deaths-at-sea-worst-ever-in-history-highest-un-a7381426.html

Dismaland. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dismaland

JOBSON, C. (2015, August 20th). Welcome to Dismaland: A First Look at Banksy’s New Art Exhibition Housed Inside a Dystopian Theme Park. Retrieved from This is Collosal : https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/08/dismaland/

Society . (2017, June 30th). EU migrant crisis: facts and figures. Retrieved from European Parliment: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20170629STO78630/eu-migrant-crisis-facts-and-figures

Spindler, W. (2015, December 8th). 2015: The Year of Europe’s Refugee Crisis. Retrieved April 2019, from UNHCR TRACKS: http://tracks.unhcr.org/2015/12/2015-the-year-of-europes-refugee-crisis/

Banksy’s Crayon Boy depicts a young boy holding a sub machine gun. Surrounded by colourful flowers , butterflies and a sun. The boy has been created using dark , monochrome tones in a more realistic style. which contrasts with the childlike imagery of his surroundings. What is particularly interesting about this piece is the colour of the bullets. They are unusually as they are not the normal metal ones.Looking closely at the image we can infer that the bullets are crayons because of the correlation between them and the drawings surrounding him.

Critics believe that the piece is inspired by the Vietnam War. It is presumed that the child is a display of a Vietnamese soldier renouncing his childhood in order to fight for his country. However, I believe that the child soldier is a depiction of the horrifying history of School shootings in America.Between 2010 and 2011 there were 20 school shootings recording in the U.S , from the 5th of February 2010 to the 9th of December 2011. Out of those 20 , 2 were situated in the state of California. The first happened on the 1st of October 2010 on Alisal lHigh campus where a 15 year old student was shot several times crossing the athletic field in the morning.Police say a single gunman shot the boy several times in the torso.

His injuries proved fatal when he later died in hospital. Another school shooting took place on the 8th of October 2010 in Carlsbad California. Two students were shot in the arm the a gunman opened fire at Kelly Elementary School. However ,they were not life threatening injures.The shooter was then tackled to the ground by nearby construction workers.The gunman was 41 year old Brendan O’Rouke and he was found guilty of seven counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to 189 years to life in prison.

If we take into account these devastating events we can infer that Banksy’s artwork is a argument against America’s gun laws and the effects of it.Gun regulation in America is one of the most controversial and heavily debated topic in American history.The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” This amendment is vague around the subject of gun laws and has long been debated throughout the years as it has been inferred in many ways, in both for and against cases relating to firearms.

‘Opponents of gun control believe that additional laws or regulations on firearm purchases would not stop criminals from acquiring weapons or deter crime,and that regulations would trespass only against law-abiding gun owners who are exerting their Second-Amendment right. Further, many opponents of gun control believe that better enforcement of current laws and improved mental health services would be more effective in preventing mass shootings than passing additional laws.’- (HeinOnline, n.d.)

Banksy displays his argument against Gun regulation , projecting the idea that guns are too easily acquired in America due to its laws on firearm possession. He debates this through American history of crimes relating to such events which show the misuse of guns. E.g School Shootings.Which is why the location of the artwork is so prominent.

Bibliography

Adams, G. (2011, February 17). Banksy goes to Hollywood. The Independant. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/banksy-goes-to-hollywood-2217158.htmlCrayon Boy. (n.d.). Retrieved from Culture Banksy: http://culturebanksy.weebly.com/crayon-boy-2011.html#

HeinOnline. (n.d.). Gun Regulation and Legislation in America. Retrieved from HeinOnline: https://home.heinonline.org/content/gun-regulation-and-legislation-in-america/

LEIBOWITZ, B. (2010, October 8th). Kelly Elementary School Shooting Update: Two Students Injured, Not Life-Threatening, Say Calif. Police. Retrieved from CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kelly-elementary-school-shooting-update-two-students-injured-not-life-threatening-say-calif-police/

Wikipedia. (n.d.). List of school shootings in the united states. Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States#2010–2014

Banksy’s Napalm Girl has been created by using a pre-existing image from Vietnam in 1972. The original image seen below displays a girl named Phan Thi Kim Phuc fleeing from a Napalm attack on her village.The original photograph was taken by Press photographer Nick Ut titled “The Terror of War” which was taken on the 8th of June 1972 during the Vietnam War.

Nick Ut’s famous photograph shown above, depicts the tragedy and faces of collateral damage in war which normally goes unseen. It was taken after South Vietnamese Air Force dropped Napalm on the village of Trang Brang by mistake. Kim Phuc’s clothes had been burned off by Napalm and she had to be taken to hospital with third degree burns that covered 30 percent of her body.Ut with the help of his colleagues managed to get Kim Phuc transferred to an American facility to save her life.

388,000 tons of napalm was dropped in Vietnam during 1963 -1973 period.A 2,500-square-yard area could be immersed in flame by a single napalm bomb. Although, dropping it from high-speed aircraft’s wasn’t accurate. This meant that a large number of innocent civilians suffered serious harm. As we can see from Nick Ut’s image. Napalm Girl became a symbol for the brutality if the Vietnam War. Unlike the wars before it where the effects of Napalm were censored to the public . It was exposed hugely by Vietnam. Thousands of images surrounding this devastation were circulated in the media. Napalm Girl in particular forced publications to override their policies concerning Nudity .In 1973 it won the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography and the World Press Photo of the Year. . And, within the same year, American stopped its involvement in the Vietnam war. Napalm Girl displayed that the conflict of war was doing much more harm than good. Becoming an iconic symbol for peace.

Taking this image in 2004 Banksy placed Kim Phuc in the centre of the image with Mickey Mouse on one side and Ronald McDonald on the other . Two icons of American Capitalism holding a terrified girls hands. The fear and struggle of survival juxtaposed with these two smiling characters, ignorant to her feelings , creates an extremely disturbing atmosphere.

The characters appear to be either leading her to her death with sinister smiles. Could this be an attack on America’s obsession with power and money. Even at the demise of innocent children like Kim Phuc it appears that nothing will stop them from their goal. This is so perfectly structured through the consumerist idols of Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald whose target audience is children.Banksy exposes Americas treatment of their own children, in contrast to their treatment to children affected by wars they cannot escape from.

Bibliography

AP images. (n.d.). PHOTOGRAPHER NICK UT: THE NAPALM GIRL. Retrieved from AP images: http://www.apimages.com/Collection/Landing/Photographer-Nick-Ut-The-Napalm-Girl-/ebfc0a860aa946ba9e77eb786d46207e

Banksy British Graffiti Artist, Political Activist, and Film Director. (n.d.). Retrieved from The Art Story: https://www.theartstory.org/artist-banksy-artworks.htm

Napalm Banksy. (n.d.). Retrieved from My art broker: https://www.myartbroker.com/artist/banksy/napalm/

Rohn, A. (2014, January 18). The Vietnam War. Retrieved from Napalm in Vietnam War: https://thevietnamwar.info/napalm-vietnam-war/

Stockton, R. (2017, June 6th). The True Story Behind “Napalm Girl”. Retrieved from All thats interesting: https://allthatsinteresting.com/napalm-girl

Time Photo. (2016, September 9th). The Story Behind the ‘Napalm Girl’ Photo Censored by Facebook.Retrieved from TIME: http://time.com/4485344/napalm-girl-war-photo-facebook/

• 

Banksy is known for being a Strong pacifist. His work ‘Rage, Flower Thrower’ is displayed on a wall in Jerusalem , preserved by perspex glass. It is a prime example of this belief in anti-war. It displays a violent protester wearing a balacalva throwing a bouquet of flowers. Replacing what would usually be a weapon intended for harm such as a ‘Molotov cocktail’. The flowers are substituted for this as a sign of peace instead of a sign of war.

If we contextualise this piece, we can infer that it is inspired by incidents at the gay parade in Jerusalem on Thursday the 30th of June 2005. The gay parade was attacked by protesters, a religious Jew stabbed three people and injured many more, during clashes between dozens of Ultra-Orthodox Jews and thousands of Gay Pride Parade marchers.The three victims were taken to Shaarei Tzedek Hospital with moderate wounds. Yishai Schlissel was arrested and sentenced to 12 years in prison of which he served 10. After his release in 2015 Shaarei Tzedek stabbed six people at a gay pride march in Jerusalem for a second time, three weeks after his release.

The march attracts thousands of people and has been a focal point of tension between Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish minority, who object to homosexuality and the widely secular majority.

The Israeli prime minister at the time, Binyamin Netanyahu, commented on the incident describing the attack , “as a most serious incident”. “In the state of Israel, the individual’s freedom of choice is one of basic values. We must ensure that in Israel, every man and woman lives in security in any way they choose. That’s how we acted in the past and how we’ll continue to act. I wish the wounded a speedy recovery,”

It is believed that Banksy’s floral replacement is inspired by the Poem ‘Wage Peace’ written by Judyth Hill.

38. Judyth Hill–Wage Peace 

Wage peace with your breath.
 
Breathe in firemen and rubble, breathe out whole buildings and flocks of red wing blackbirds.
Breathe in terrorists 
and breathe out sleeping children and freshly mown fields.
 
Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.
 
Breathe in the fallen and breathe out lifelong friendships intact.
 
Wage peace with your listening: hearing sirens, pray loud.
 
Remember your tools: flower seeds, clothes pins, clean rivers.
 
Make soup.
Play music; memorize the words for thank you in three languages.
Learn to knit, and make a hat.

Think of chaos as dancing raspberries,
imagine grief 
as the out breath of beauty 
or the gesture of fish.
Swim for the other side.

Wage peace.

Never has the world seemed so fresh and precious:

Have a cup of tea and rejoice.

Act as if armistice has already arrived.
Celebrate today.

Hill, J. (2019, Febuary 18). 38.Retrieved from Charter for compassion: https://charterforcompassion.org/38-judyth-hill-wage-peacehttps://charterforcompassion.org/38-judyth-hill-wage-peace
 

We can relate his work to this poem through the line ‘Remember your tools: flower seeds, clothes pins, clean rivers.’ She uses these tools as a symbol of peace which Banksy has juxtaposed with a rioter. The flowers are also coloured in conjucntion with gay pride icononography.

Bibliography

Beaumont, P. (2015, July 30). Man stabs people at gay pride march in Jerusalem for second time. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/30/up-to-six-stabbed-at-gay-pride-march-in-jerusalem

Hill, J. (2019, Febuary 18). 38.Retrieved from Charter for compassion: https://charterforcompassion.org/38-judyth-hill-wage-peacehttps://charterforcompassion.org/38-judyth-hill-wage-peace

Richardson, R. (2015, December 30). “Rage, Flower Thrower” or “FLower Bomber” by Banksy. Retrieved from What Banksy’s Street Art Means To The World: http://www.blogs.buprojects.uk/2015-2016/rachelrichardson/2015/12/30/rage-flower-thrower-or-flower-bomber-by-banksy/

The Art Story. (n.d.). Banksy. Retrieved from The Art Story: https://www.theartstory.org/artist-banksy-artworks.htm

Weiss, D. S. (2005, June 30). Violence erupts at Gay Pride Parade. Retrieved from YNET News: https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3106491,00.html