Awareness Post #5 - Banksy3/21/2018 Ever since 1990, Banksy has fascinated people around the world with their powerful satirical graffiti art and their famed anonymity. Little is known about Banksy besides the fact that they began as a graffiti artist in the early 1990s and gained significant traction in 2006 after celebrities began taking notice of their art. They have engaged in numerous "graffiti wars" and runs an Instagram account with around 2.1 million followers.
One of Banksy's most popular works is known as "Balloon Girl." "Balloon Girl" was created in 2002 on the side of an east London shop, and it depicts a child either reaching for or losing her red, heart-shaped balloon. A faded message located near the mural states "THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE." This mural was voted Great Britain's favorite artwork in 2017 through a Samsung poll. Many people believe that the girl is losing her balloon which may signify loss of innocence which is a bleak yet realistic message. I believe that this interpretation falls in line with many of Banksy's other murals (that are reasonably depressing) as well as their later revision of this work that depicted a Syrian refugee in place of the girl. On the other hand, the work may also be interpreted as the girl reaching for her balloon as a sign of perseverance of hope which aligns with the message displayed near it. This optimistic view point also appeals to me as their recreation of it may signify that Syrian refugees should not lose hope despite how terrifying their situation is. I LOVE this mural. In particular, I love the use of selective color in the balloon as it draws attention to it and elevates the balloon's importance. Furthermore, Banksy has always been incredibly talented in displaying forms using dark shadows and this work is no different. The form of the child is entirely suggested by the shadows they use. I have never been good at using shadows to define forms as I rely heavily on contour lines, and I envy Banksy's mastery of this technique. In terms of faults, the face of the little girl is a bit terrifying. Although, only from up close is it very noticeable. She looks angry, which may be due to how her form is portrayed with just shadows, but it still unnerves me as a viewer. Banksy's use of shadows and pops of color are something I want to emulate in my work and incorporate into my pieces as I greatly enjoy how they look in both an aesthetic and communicative way. As Banksy primarily works with stencils, I want to try to see how I can build a complex work with such materials. I have seen videos of people using numerous stencils to accomplish one picture, and I think it looks incredibly tedious but the results are amazing.
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March 2020
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