By Helen Reichert
Banksy's Flying Copper 2004, for inquiries email info@rainydaysgallery.com
Art has long been a medium used to express discontent with forces in power. While many artistic movements and practices involve themes of anti-authority, there are two in particular that are adopted by popular street artist Banksy to create works of art that satirize and disrupt popular social beliefs and power figures. These two are Graffiti and Pop Art.
Graffiti, as we now recognize it, began in New York in the late 1960s, where “tags” first became popular, though its roots can be artistically traced back to early cave paintings. Accepting this connection allows us to conclude that Graffiti is an example of humans’ natural need to create art. It is also important to note that Graffiti is, in many cases, illegal, and is considered by many to be an act against the ruling government. Graffiti is essentially an act of artistic protest against forces in power, and often acts as a response to abuse of power.
Pop Art, on the other hand, acts as a colorful critique of consumerist society. Pop Art often utilizes common consumerist motifs to create works of art that parody capitalism and the lack of power consumers hold. Banksy takes these two artistic practices and blends them together to create street art that is grounded in the anti-establishment philosophy behind Graffiti and satirical critique of capitalism.
Banksy is an English-based street artist and activist who has been active since the 1990s. His stenciled and satirized style of graffiti is instantly recognizable, but it is his unknown identity that gives his work intrigue. Of Banksy’s works, Rainy Days Gallery is fortunate enough to house two that perfectly encapsulate the artist’s style, which at its core is about revenge from the underclass and taking back power from those who abuse it.
Flying Copper depicts a police officer with wings and a cartoonish smiley face holding a machine gun. The smiling face is familiar and evokes nostalgia but juxtaposed with the machine gun feels sinister, as if the officer is hiding something from the viewer. Flying Copper is a depiction of Banksy’s distrust of authority, specifically police, whose angelic and happy exterior is directly contrasted with the fear-inducing machine gun and heavy police getup.
Banksy's Weston Super Mare 2003, as the centerpiece of the curated wall. For inquiries email info@rainydaysgallery.com
Another Banksy piece, Weston Super Mare, is also available at the gallery. The print depicts an old man sitting on a park bench, unaware of the saw blade rapidly approaching him. A tribute to the British town Weston Super Mare, it is an example of how even those who are content with life will be affected by violence.
Banksy will forever be an artist essential to the history of art, specifically to contemporary Graffiti and Pop Art. Through his artwork, Banksy asks viewers to contemplate the role power has in their lives and prompts viewers to question their response to those figures of authority. To view these two notable works, stop by Rainy Days Gallery in the RiNo neighborhood of Denver.