Contemporary art is gradually acquiring new dimensions and its own language of self-expression. One of the most prominent representatives of contemporary artists is Banksy, who is considered one of the main phenomena of the 21st century. This can be explained by the fact that mystery, together with talent and self-confidence, give rise to well-known paintings that become a cultural value. It is necessary to analyze the key aspects of Banksy’s work and also to find out what contribution he made to art.
Once Banksy came up with the idea of using stencils, it saved time on creating work. Thanks to this, the graffiti became larger and larger, and consequently, the risk of getting caught increased. Stencil images have become a signature feature of his style. However, he gained fame only in the mid-2000s; his ironic works on topical social or political topics gradually became recognizable outside of England (Daichendt 71). Among other things, the creator is not bound to one territory or country, which is explained by the appearance of works everywhere.
Banksy’s art is partly ironic, the essence of which is to ridicule trends, politics and established constructs. The artist does not put deep meaning into his works, unlike his colleagues, but creates masterpieces with a simple and bright message (McGaughey and McCutcheon 73). The most striking artworks are the Girl with the Balloon, the protesting child with a bouquet, the helicopters with pink bows and the boy roaring due to the lack of activity in Instagram (Daichendt 83). Images were popularized on the Internet, became memes, and organically “grown” into modern mass culture.
Cases are also relevant when regular graffiti that appeared on some inconspicuous wall in a provincial town were not immediately recognized as the work of Banksy and painted over. Soon, however, this became known, and the scandal only fueled interest in the mysterious artist (McGaughey and McCutcheon 21). His image of a 21st-century Robin Hood was reinforced by Banksy’s demonstrative disdain for commercial mechanisms (Daichendt 67). Banksy always refuses collaborations and hired work, and prefers to work alone.
It is worth noting that the most striking episode in his career is the sabotage with the painting Girl with a Balloon. As a result, the artist has created a fundamentally different relationship to his art, where the context is more important than the outcome. Due to the fact that Banksy uses a stencil, his art can be replicated. Nobody bothers him to apply the same thing several times in several places. However, a publicly damaged work, and by the hands of the artist himself, is already a unique object.
Secondly, Banksy created not only the original image on canvas, but a unique frame, video documentation of the process, and, one might say, a “scenario” of the action. He provided all this with conceptual explanations, not on museum plates but on his own Instagram (McGaughey and McCutcheon 45). Consequently, he acted not just as an artist but as an ideologist and director of a multi-component action (McGaughey and McCutcheon 43). Only a complete history can clarify the reasons for the emergence of such a phenomenon as Banksy, and its role in society.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the Banksy phenomenon is complex since it consists of a large number of factors. The artist combines a special approach to creativity, anonymity, and mystery, which draws attention to his final products. His fame is due to his talent since paintings and graffiti are masterpieces of modern art. It can be assumed that the secret of Banksy will not be revealed until he himself wants it.
Works Cited
Daichendt, James G. Artist-Scholar. Reflections on Writing and Research. University of Chicago Press, 2020.
McGaughey, Fiona and McCutcheon, Jani. (Eds.). Research Handbook on Art and Law. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2020.