Graffiti and the Artist

Graffiti and the Artist

            Slave Labour, painted by a man whose only known alias is “Bansky”, is a mural that was painted on the side of a store in London in 2012. The mural is an active protest against the manufacturing of memorabilia in sweatshops during the London Olympics. It depicts a boy producing Union Jack patches at a sewing machine. This piece of art is famous for being stolen from the wall in which it was painted on and later supposedly resold for the price of 1.1 million to the dismay of the community and Bansky.

Bomb Hugger, also painted by Bansky, was painted in 2003 and depicts a young girl hugging a bomb. This painting likely symbolizes the hypercritical way in which war is often depicted as a tool to defend the innocent, like the innocent girl hugging the bomb. Like the painting, Slave Labour, the message is simple but I believe is powerful because it challenges many basic assumptions that the developed world takes for granted.

Another popular piece of graffiti art is Banksy’s Mobile Lovers, which depicts the two lovers who might look enthralled with each other if not for the interest they show for their cell phones. This mural was discovered in Clement Street, Bristol in 2014. Mobile Lovers was discovered on a wall in Clement Street, Bristol in April 2014. I find this piece of artwork interesting not because of its artistic merit but because it was intended to be sold with the proceeds going to the charity, The Broad Plain Boys’ Club. This club’s motto is “Service Not Self”. This appears to reflect not only the ideals of the club, but also the ideals of the man who donated the artwork, Bansky.

Bansky’s identity remains unknown, at least to most of the world. Perhaps Bansky is a woman, or a group of people working together across the world. Whoever Bansky is, it is clear that this entity has done a great deal to dissolve the common belief that graffiti art is only of a destructive nature. While I personally believe that Bansky’s art is simplistic, I think that it is important, especially for the youth of a globalized world, because the art helps questions common assumptions that cultures tend to overlook.

Timing in Everything, is a stencil piece of graffiti done in London, England by another anonymous artist named, “Above” that depicts a break dancer grabbing a sign upside down. This piece really comes together at a certain time of night, when the shadow from the sign can be seen in the break dancer’s hand. The piece was created to show how the city changes from day to night and demonstrates how a moment can change meaning to a piece of art.

Giving to the Poor, painted in Lisbon, Portugal in 2008 is another piece of street art by Above that depends on the context it is in to be fully understood. The artist, Above traveled to the area the piece was painted and noticed an atm machine with a begging woman several feet away. The piece is placed between the two very real scenes and depicts a man robbing someone while handing the stolen money to the beggar. This scene reiterates the idea that graffiti, while illegal, can be done for eye opening purposes.

The final and perhaps simplest piece of graffiti shown here by “Above” was created in Johannesburg, Africa. This piece was created in 2012 and simply reads, ‘Diamonds are a woman’s best friend and a man’s worst enemy’. This piece was allowed by Jewel City, one of the city’s largest diamond trading businesses because Above mislead the owners into believing he would create art that would act to commercialize and endorse their business. This piece was likely created to bring attention to the trading and selling of illegal diamonds in South Africa.

Above is an international artist who has painted pieces that demonstrate a political and social awareness. While much of what he has done is considered illegal, he has undoubtedly brought attention to overlooked situations that beget a global understanding. The events he comments on with his art are often current and encompass moral atrocities within society.

Works Cited

“Above (artist).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 31 July 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Above_(artist)&gt;.

“Slave Labour (mural).” Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2015. <https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSlave_Labour_(mural)>.

“Bansky.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 31 July 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksy&gt;.

“Banksy Slave Labour (Bunting Boy). London 2012 Put up for Auction.” N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2015. <http://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1154136/banksy-slave-labour-bunting-boy-london-2012-put-auction&gt;.

“Wooster Collective: ABOVE: GIVING TO THE POOR.” Wooster Collective. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2015. <http://www.woostercollective.com/post/above-giving-to-the-poor&gt;.

“Bomb Hugger by Banksy.” Bomb Hugger by Banksy. N.p., 25 Sept. 2012. Web. 31 July 2015. <http://www.stencilrevolution.com/banksy-art-prints/bomb-hugger/>.

“Graffiti Artist Proves Timing Is Everything With Handstand Graffiti.” Mashable. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2015. <http://mashable.com/2013/08/12/timing-is-everything/&gt;.

“The World of Banksy Art.” : Banksy Graffiti in Palestine. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2015. <http://banksyworld.blogspot.com/2012/10/banksy-graffiti-in-palestine.html&gt;.