Image courtesy of Christopher Jobson via Colossal

Well, as an end to my Banksy journey I have decided to go back to even before Banksy. I want to talk about an artist who set the stage for mainstream street art; Jean-Michel Basquiat laid the foundations for graffiti to develop into an artform and in 2017 Banksy paid homage to this late great artist. Banksy’s emergence as an artist was marked with many comparisons to his successful contemporaries. One particular artist to which Banksy was often compared was Jean-Michel Basquiat. Basquiat was an American graffiti artist who often called attention to the history of African Americans and the strife of slavery.

Recently, in the fall of 2017, Basquiat’s art was being displayed in an exhibit in the Barbican Center in London, and Banksy decided to make an unofficial collaboration on the walls of the center. When authenticating the piece on his Instagram, the social media outlet where Banksy often takes credit for his graffiti endeavors, he included in the caption, “Major new Basquiat show opens at the Barbican – a place that is normally very keen to clean any graffiti from its walls.” This unauthorized installation consisted of two art pieces which distinctly referenced Jean-Michel’s work. One piece utilized a popular motif from the work of Basquiat, a simple three-point crown, as carts on a ferris wheel. You probably recognize this crown as it has become a common image on graphic tee-shirts. This has gotten me into a bit of trouble in the recent past when I enthusiastically approach someone and ask them if they like Basquiat, which is generally answered with a blank stare. In this black and white piece people were lining up at a ticket booth to ride the Ferris wheel. This speaks to the commercialization of art, which Banksy has frequently advocated should be free for observation.

Image courtesy of Christopher Jobson via Colossal

The other piece was a reference to Basquiat’s Boy and Dog in a Johnny Pump, but Banksy introduced two new characters to the image. Policemen are seen “patting down” the skeletal figure (Sulcas). This alludes to the treatment of and attitudes toward graffiti artists by the law, which creates further debate on the validity of street art.

Despite Banksy’s ever-growing popularity, I find it so interesting that he still pays homage to the artists who laid the path to his success. We often remember famous artists for their work, but I feel as if graffiti artists are sometimes excluded from this remembrance. So take some time (we all have a lot of it these days) and look up some cool graffiti.

Image courtesy of Block 9 via Lucky Escape

This piece feels especially relevant today. It has been exposed in response to the devastation caused by COVID-19 that the rich often have extreme advantages despite the situation. There have been allegations that the rich have received priority testing, access to doctors, and treatment. This is not a new concept. Throughout society we can witness how the disparity of wealth can sometimes become so extreme it seems unreal. This piece exemplifies the disparity of wealth.

This piece is presented to be like a billboard, tilted slightly over a marshy area. The frame of the billboard is broken, which continues the visual theme of general disarray surrounding the image. The image is black and white, showing only the silhouettes of the people and objects depicted. This monochrome scheme is very important to the meaning of the piece. There are many issues in the world which we define as “grey” where it is difficult to draw an accurate conclusion about the ethics of a situation due to the various nuances of moral behavior, but the artist is making clear that this is simply not the case. There is no room for argument that the artist views the disparity of wealth as being completely immoral, it is literally being depicted as a “black and white” situation.

The image works to evoke empathy from an onlooker, as there is a family depicted seemingly begging for the help from the penguin-suited man at the other side of a long banquet table. The family also appears to be headed by a single mother, to further highlight a group that is often marginalized due to wealth disparity.

The wealthy an at the other side of the table has various small details that enhance his depiction as being “superior”. The man is shown with various detailing in white. From his white ring-of-fire balding pattern to the buttons on his tuxedo; the man is shown with ornate details while the family is depicted as merely a shadow. This lack of detailing relays an ominous feeling that the family may be forgotten, overlooked by society.

I believe the most obvious criticism of the wealthy is contained in a singular object resting upon the banquet table, the candelabra. When eating a meal, food is kind of a necessity, but in no case is a fancy centerpiece of a gilded candleholder needed to consume a meal. This is a visual representation of how excessive wealth can breed unnecessary spending, while there are people who have nothing sitting right across the way.

Again I am in no way trying to make a political commentary on capitalism in society, rather just providing my commentary on this piece. Let’s all try to remember in this time that there are likely people who have less than us, and to show empathy whenever possible. Avoid buying WIC items at the grocery store, especially this week as checks are issued for the first of the month. If you can buy enough food for two months, maybe consider putting a couple cans back on the shelf for someone who is waiting to shop until their paycheck comes in. Be empathetic, generous, miss y’all, stay safe.

Back with another Banksy. As the world is seemingly falling into dispair, I have decided to go a less convoluted route this week. I am not going to sit here and attempt to determine all the hidden meanings in a Dismaland piece, all of which could frankly be wrong. I have noticed that the park is very appropriately named as “Dismaland”, and with the current state of things I am simply not in the mood to embark on that dark and twisty path. Rather I will present you with a very straightforward piece that I personally appreciate greatly.  

“I HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA WHAT THE HELL I AM DOING IN THIS WORLD.” The meaning of the piece is literally spelled out in black and white for you. The words “Out of stock,” are faintly written in pen on the poster which is hung on a door in the park.  

Courtesy of http://www.dismaland.co.uk/

For my brief analysis, I am always drawn by the writing on the door. This phrase is copied from another one of Banksy’s most famed pieces. That piece is an “Out of stock,” alert, notifying an onlooker that “The lifestyle you ordered is currently out of stock.” I immediately connected these two pieces in my mind, and this has guided my conclusions on the piece. Most of us, or at least definitely me, have no fucking idea what we are doing. It is so hard in such a big world to decide what you want to pursue, where you fit in, or how to make a difference. Regardless of this, we are forced at a young age to conform and decide what we want to do. This concept that we are so inflexible with our dreams once we reach a certain age is the cause for the “Out of stock” message; you may want to take the time to explore your desires and dreams, but societal norms have rendered that impossible for many. We live in an age and are at the age where you are no longer allowed to have no fucking idea what the hell you are doing.  

Image Courtesy of Odd Andersen via The Motreal Gazette

I like this piece for a few reasons. First, if you ask any of my close friends, they will tell you that I describe myself as constantly confused. I feel as if I live in a state of confusion, and that is why life is so fun, because you constantly feel like you are figuring things out. Also, coming to college with a set path for the future, I have since realized that I am interested in so many more things than I ever entertained. I literally have no fucking idea what I want to do. I appreciate that this piece expresses such a common sentiment that is so rarely discussed. Let’s make confusion casual again.  

So in a time when so many things are uncertain, take some comfort that we are all in the same boat. Remember that it is okay to have no fucking idea what you are doing in this world, sometimes the confusion makes things more fun and can open up doors that were previously closed. Print out the picture, hang it on your wall (possibly piss off your parents), and remember we’re all in this together.  

*Bonus if you find all the pop-culture references I accidentally included  

**Stay safe 🙂 

Image Courtesy of Alicia Canter via The Guardian

At a glance, Dismaland checks all the boxes of your common amusement park, even having a carousel! Today that is the exact piece I will be discussing, as I think it is one of the most subtle but also stark, commentaries in the park. This carousel is very similar to what you would see at Hersheypark. It is brightly colored, dotted with beautifully decorated horses, has chariots for families to ride in, and… a man in a hazmat suit making lasagna out of one of the horses. Bet you weren’t expecting that one.  

I find this piece to be most interesting because it is no way in your face. There aren’t a ton of the hazmat men, or any gruesome display; there is one man, which sits rather unassumingly. If you were riding on the other side of the carousel, which at one point was an option, you could be blissfully unaware of what is occurring on the other side; that naïve bliss is what Banksy is attacking in this piece.  

There is not much to describe regarding the carousel itself. It is very similar to anything you may see in an amusement park. Banksy made no modifications to this timeless style which is so nostalgic for many. But, as the carousel spins, you are greeted by a man clothed in all white, the pure clean cloth which makes subtle blood droplets covering it much more visible. The man is also wielding a knife, but not in a threatening way, rather as if he was doing a job. He is seated on top of boxes labeled “lasagne”. This is unsettling, but not very disturbing, as it is assumed that there is meat in most lasagna; therefore, there requires animal slaughter at some point, but if you look up you will be disgusted by the message of the piece.  

One of the carousel horses is hanging upside down from the top, similarly to an animal in a slaughterhouse. It is now implied that the man is slaughtering the horse in order to make the lasagna, and the carousel becomes much less kid-friendly.  

This piece is making two commentaries. One, it is commenting on the nature of the meat industry. Since The Jungle, by Upton Sinclaire, the meat industry has been questioned for its practices, labor and otherwise. This is further calling into question the integrity of the meat industry, and forcing people to question what they are mindlessly putting into their bodies.  

This piece is a larger commentary on human nature. Banksy is attacking people for choosing to remain ignorant about serious problems. We are often so unwilling to question something until it has been exposed to us. If you were on the opposite side of the carousel you may be apt to eat a piece of lasagna in the park later that day, but until you choose to question the common happenings of things you may be in for a nasty surprise.