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City in Transformation: Navigating and Measuring the Impact of Street Art and its Methodology

Street art has not been well documented before the 1980’s and the advent of smart phones and boom in technology (Martin, 2010, Origins of Street Art pt.1). Majority of mainstream media as well as the general public has viewed street art as a form of vandalism and an eyesore in cities and believed that it was degrading urban areas. Even during its boom in the 70’s in North America (McAuliffe, 2012, p.192) as well as many cities in Europe such as Paris, it has often been associated with rebellion and lack of legality and has resulted in “significant social, aesthetic, and legal disputation” (Young, 2010, p.100). However, more recently, the street art scene is explosively making its way out of the underground to join the mainstream media unrivaled by any other artistic genre. Famous street artists like Banksy are publishing books and documentaries such as Exit Through the Gift Shop (Burnham, 2010, p.137): The most notable example being Shepard Fairey who designed Barak Obama’s famous “HOPE” poster (Figure 1). Which undoubtedly effected the presidential election of 2008 in Obama’s favor and even winning the title of design of the year (Etherington, 2009). Indeed, street art is now more prevalent than ever and it is an important catalyst for evoking creativity and emotion from its audience to enriching the culture.

Shepard Fairy’s Hope Poster

Many cities across the world such as Paris and Los Angeles has had a long and deep rooted history of street art culture (Young, 2010, p. 100). Even cities like Melbourne and Sidney has become a hot-zone for street artists in the late 1990s and early 2000s (Young, 2010, p. 100). Places like May Lane in Marrickville, Australia (McAuliffe, 2012, p. 198) was revitalized thanks to street art and murals. Likewise, London has seen one of largest influx in street art and has been under the microscope in the art world thanks to the reputation of a single street artist named Banksy (Ross, 2016, p.278); and rightly so, his unique style blending stencil and public sculpture and cleverly incorporating critical message in a humorous and easily digestible manner has made him an artist that is one of a kind. On the other hand, in the underground art scene, he is seen in a much different light – accused of plagiarism and ripping of lesser known artists (Peitzman, 2012), and having a feud between a graffiti legend named King Robbo (Lamden, 2014). As well, others see Banksy’s iconic style of stencil as a way of copout, easily able to create a clean and elaborate work in a matter of minutes without necessarily developing a high degree of skill (Kostove, 2017). However, controversies of plagiarism and drama aside, it is undeniable that Banksy has influenced the mainstream media, culture, and the political landscape through stencil and clever usage and blending of mainstream and corporate icons and critical messages.

It would be difficult to analyze Banksy’s message and techniques through semiotics without first understanding the meaning of satire and parody and how crucial it is for many of his works – critically looking at a certain aspect of the world or society through the lens of humor. It is also important to examine the very idea of freedom of speech and expression in society and how far someone can push that boundary, especially when it comes to someone as prolific and high profile as Banksy. All of the key concepts above will need a context and a background in which it needs to be based, so I will be examining the culture and the society that is around some of Banksy’s works in order to ground his message. All of which will be wrapped up with the final key concept of mainstream media and how Banksy has left his mark and influenced political and economic landscape.

Banksy has a lot of famous works under his belt, such as the “Flower Bomber” and “Pulp Fiction” but many of his most powerful and controversial works utilize humor and satire to deliver his message. Take the starving Ethiopian child with a Burger King paper hat, for instance, depicts a starving child from a 3rd world country but has an underlying message of “subtle, yet deeply hopeful, concern with human suffering can be detected” (Brassett, 2009, p.220). Here, Banksy uses a stark imagery of a hungry child, depicted in black and white, versus the bright yellow paper hat of Burger King, cleverly using humor and satire to relay his message. According to a magazine published on BBC in 2015 after the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris, the writer defined the moral of a satire to be “[…] the moral reform of society – discuss.” It is not necessarily to bring about change or a revolution, but to bring light to and create discussion. Unfortunately, that was not the case in Charlie Hebdo – 12 people have died in the name of satire and depicting Muhammad, a prophet in Islamic faith, in their cartoon (CNN, 2016). Unlike the extreme case above, none of Banksy’s arts have created such tragic repercussions. But it is important to note that both Banksy and the editors at Charlie Hebdo have exercised their freedom of speech and expression despite the reactions from the public.

Banksy’s Ethiopian Child with Burger King paper hat (satirical jab at corporate marketing and vanity of food vs. world hunger)

The crux of Banksy’s appeal and part of his large success in the mainstream media has been his unrelenting questioning of the global issues and thus elevating graffiti as something more than just a form of vandalism and its dubious legality (Brassett, 2009, p.230). He utilized satire and stark imagery to create a form of “shock therapy” for the general public – repackaging global issues through the use of irony (Brassett, 2009, p.232). He often juxtaposes well-known images and icons of western capitalism versus the western imperialism (Brassett, 2009, p.232). Take one of his famous murals, “Napalm” in 2004, for instance; there is something almost disturbing about the image where a victim of war – the child, from an iconic photo taken in Vietnam after napalm bombing destroyed her village – is holding hands with Micky Mouse and Ronald McDonald, the very symbols of American capitalism. This haunting image is a prime example of how Banksy masterfully utilizes satire to deliver his viewpoint which condemns war, and attacks capitalism as well as consumerism in America and how the population is almost blind to the America’s foreign policy and indifference towards human suffering in other countries (Stencil Revoluion). Indeed, use of satire in Banksy’s works have been well documented in photographs and have been covered extensively by mainstream media news outlets such as BBC and rightly so, his works have sparked debates on international issues and engaged the public in a matter that would otherwise pass unnoticed (Brassett, 2009, p.232).

Banksy’s Napalm

Another powerful advantage of Banksy and his method of creating art is in its medium – stencil and accessibility. Because of this, he is able to move quickly between urban spaces to create his piece in anonymity. As a form of exercising his right in freedom of speech and expression, Banksy is able to create vast array of art that can range from something subtle like Pulp Fiction to visceral pieces like the Napalm. A concept that has a very close ties to satire and humor, freedom of speech and expression is a vital key in any form of art and that also holds true in Banksy’s case. Street art has long been seen as a form of rebellion and a challenge to the status-quo, always dwelling in the fringes of the society and the art world (Young, 2010, p.100). However, Banksy has undoubtedly made graffiti and street art a far more “’public’ practice” and it is becoming more accepted in the general public due to his fame (Brassett, 2009, p.232). However, despite his status as one of the most well-known street artist, even Banksy himself has found himself challenged on multiple occasions and the very idea of freedom of expression.

One of his most controversial works in known as the Guantanamo Bay comes to Disneyland where he placed a life-sized replica of a Guantanamo Bay detainee inside one of the rides in Disneyland. The park even had to be shut down in order to assess the situation and the whole process has been captured in a feature-length documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. Brazenly displaying a detainee in Guantanamo Bay in the middle of a theme park that is in the height of American freedom and capitalism creates a stark juxtaposition (Wang, 2014). This created a whirlwind of media frenzy and sparked a discussion about the sensitive matter of detainees in Guantanamo and questioned the position that the US had in detaining suspected terrorist in the name of national security in places that clearly violates human rights and American values (BBC, 2006).

This then also brings up an interesting question of whether it is okay for street artists to create their art in public and urban spaces under the protection of freedom of speech and freedom of expression. As well, Banksy is under criticism of hypocrisy since his work is revered and is preserved, fetching hundreds of thousands of dollars in auctions whereas other street art and graffiti is considered vandalism (Robson, 2015). Then is it really fair for Banksy to have more of a voice than his other, lesser known street artists? Putting the criticisms of hypocrisy aside, Banksy has remained largely ambivalent and indifferent about his spotlight in the media, even going out of his way to avoid and distance himself from the mainstream media and high-class arts (Brassett, 2009, p.223). It could also be said that it is not entirely Banksy’s fault for the hypocrisy and criticism since it is the public and the media that choose whose creation has more platform versus the other.

Guantanamo Bay in Disneyland

The delivery method of satire and his privilege of freedom of speech loses its meaning and message without the context of the society, culture and its urban scape as a backdrop. Banksy’s most well known in London, UK, but he has travelled around the world to make his art have more impact such as the previous work discussed above. The Guantanamo Bay comes to Disneyland would not be quite as effective if it was on the wall in the streets of London as shown in the image below. Although both works are critiquing the same subject, one set in Disneyland has more impact than the one created in the streets of London. That is part of the reason why street art can be so powerful because it is situated in the context and it is trying to make a statement (Radwan, p.3).

Banksy has toured around the world creating murals on large cities such as London, New York, and Los Angeles. On the other hand, he has also left his mark in lesser known countries such as Palestine. He has created several works in the country to highlight the conflicts between Palestine and Israel. His most recent work in Bethlehem just this year shows just how context in the society and culture can have a cumulative effect on the impact of the work. Not just street art, but bordering on the realm of installation and 3D art, he has opened the Walled off Hotel where he built a museum/art gallery that functions as an actual hotel on the border of Israel and Palestine to start a discussion and foster a dialogue between the two countries (Aljazeera, 2017). He himself dubbed it as “the hotel with the worst view in the world,” Banksy himself said that the hotel “offers a warm welcome to the people from all sides of the conflict and across the world.” (Aljazeera, 2017). The hotel stands as a stark contrast and a juxtaposition to what is happening just outside where Israel has erected a wall in 2002 to keep out “would be attackers” (Aljazeera, 2017). The hotel is a bold statement in a political and cultural climate that is segregated and divided and challenges both sides to create a dialogue and have a conversation. Along with his other works in the Gaza Strip in 2015, he has proven that his work is international and that he is focused on more global issues. It also goes to show just how crucial context and societal background is in order to effectively communicate and make a statement.

Walled off Hotel in Bethlehem (latest work by Banksy)

Finally, with all the key concepts mentioned above, it is not surprising that Banksy has had a major impact on mainstream media and political landscape. Because he is so famous and prolific, a major television network BBC has a “dedicated editorial interest in his work” (Brassett, 2009, p.232). They were one of the first networks in publicising Banksy’s works in Palestine back in 2009. He was even on the list on Time’s list of 100 most influential people in 2010 (Ellsworth-Jones, 2013). Although many critics have stated that he has “sold out” on his values, it is difficult to overlook just how influential he is (Brassett, 2009, p.232). He has also worked hard to keep himself relevant and keep street art within the mainstream media. He has made a highly reviewed compelling documentary called Exit Through the Gift Shop back in 2010, outlining the importance of street art and his philosophy behind many of his works and why he creates street art. He has also created Banksy Does New York, and Saving Banksy in 2014 besides other documentaries.

The very documentary of Saving Banksy illustrates just how “mainstream” he really is. Banksy’s art is now a highly-sought-after art that sells for hundreds of thousands of dollars in art auction and exhibits. There is a scene in the documentary where one of his art piece is sold at an auction and news media outlet is covering his art, picking apart at his message and analysing the art. Through the lens of the media, Banksy was not just a street artist, but an “activist, filmmaker, and all-purpose provocateur” (Ellsworth-Jones, 2013). Despite the criticism of hypocrisy and selling out, Banksy is using his platform to not bring light onto himself, but rather channel is fame to highlight important issues that the mainstream media might overlook.

Take a look at the example of his work in Gaza Strip, three of the murals that was painted back in 2015 has brought attention from the media such as the Telegraph, NPR, BBC, just to name a few – his art has real world implications where the mainstream media has sparked a debate and brought light to the issue while analyzing Banksy’s work. The example of the Walled off Hotel has political implications between Palestine and Israel – although the impact of his work is yet to be seen because it is so recent; but there is no denying the fact that the media is covering this issue now because of Banksy’s work.

Banksy’s art in auction (this shows how he is criticized by other street artists Banksy is now “sold out”)

In the end, thanks to Banksy, street art has become more relevant and mainstream than ever (Ellsworth-Jones, 2013). His work can be found from prestigious private art galleries to disheveled places like the Gaza Strip. He has had many controversies of copying various artists (Peitzman, 2012), to having his artistic style and his legitimacy challenged (Robson, 2015), but Banksy himself appear unfazed; and it is also difficult to deny his influence in the mainstream media and the culture around it through thought provoking art and installations such as the murals in Gaza and utilizing the societal context to create bigger impact like the Walled off Hotel. He is constantly pushing the boundary of freedom of expression and speech with controversial work such as the Guantanamo Bay Detainee in Disneyland and challenging the viewers and audiences’ comfort zone. He is not afraid to speak his mind and go to the extremes to convey his message. But ultimately, most of his works are delivered in a satirical, and at times, almost humorous and twisted ways that engages the public.

References:

A Point of View: What’s the point of satire? (2015, February 13). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31442441

Bambic, A. (n.d.). A Brief History of Stencil Art ∙ Quick, Simple and Explosive | OPEN WALLS Gallery. Retrieved March 6, 2017, from https://openwallsgallery.com/what-is-a-stencil/, https://openwallsgallery.com/what-is-a-stencil/

Banksy Accused Of Plagiarism By Zine Author. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/arts-and-culture/banksy-accused-of-plagiarism-by-zine-author/67588.htm

Banksy opens Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/banksy-wall-hotel-bethlehem-170303223157930.html

Banksy Visits Disneyland. (2014, December 30). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from https://gtmoinnola.wordpress.com/portfolio/banksy-visits-disneyland/

CNN, S. C. (n.d.). “Hope” artist’s new posters protest Trump. Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/19/arts/shepard-fairey-trump-inauguration-posters-trnd/index.html

Is “Banksy on Advertising” Plagiarized? (2012, March 14). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/is-banksy-on-advertising-p.html

Lamden, by T. (n.d.). Real identity of Banksy graffiti rival King Robbo revealed after his death. Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/real_identity_of_banksy_graffiti_rival_king_robbo_revealed_after_his_death_1_3716164

Library, C. N. N. (n.d.). 2015 Charlie Hebdo Attacks Fast Facts - CNN.com. Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/21/europe/2015-paris-terror-attacks-fast-facts/index.html

Peitzman, L. (n.d.). Viral Banksy Quote on Advertising Plagiarizes 1999 Zine Essay. Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://gawker.com/5892332/viral-banksy-quote-on-advertising-plagiarizes-1999-zine-essay

Radwan, A. (n.d.). Urban street art as a sign of representing culture, economics & politics of the cities. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/20120888/Urban_street_art_as_a_sign_of_representing_culture_economics_and_politics_of_the_cities

Ronald McDonlad and Mickey Mouse by Banksy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://www.stencilrevolution.com/banksy-art-prints/ronald-mcdonald-and-mickey-mouse/

Ross, J. I. (2016). Routledge Handbook of Graffiti and Street Art. Routledge.

Shepard Fairey wins Design of the Year. (2009, March 19). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from https://www.dezeen.com/2009/03/19/shepard-fairey-wins-design-of-the-year/

The 50 Greatest Banksy Works of All Time10. <em>Guantanamo Bay</em>, 2006. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://www.complex.com/style/2013/11/banksy-greatest-works/guantanamo-bay

The artist who created the Obama “Hope” posters is back with new art this inauguration. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2017/01/20/the-artist-who-created-the-obama-hope-posters-is-back-with-a-new-art-this-inauguration/

The Story Behind Banksy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-story-behind-banksy-4310304/

Thinking About the Origins of Street Art, Part 1. (2010, December 16). Retrieved April 10, 2017, from https://hyperallergic.com/14166/origins-of-street-art/

widewalls. (n.d.). DiY Banksy - Is Street Art Becoming Too Easy? Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://www.widewalls.ch/diy-banksy-is-street-art-becoming-too-easy/

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scottleestreetart-blog · 8 years ago

Text

City in Transformation: Navigating and Measuring the Impact of Street Art – Rough Draft

Street art has not been well documented before the 1980’s and the advent of smart phones and boom in technology (Martin, 2010, Origins of Street Art pt.1). Even during its boom in the 70’s in North America (McAuliffe, 2012, p.192) as well as many cities in Europe such as Paris, it has often been associated with rebellion and lack of legality and has resulted in “significant social, aesthetic, and legal disputation” (Young, 2010, p.100). However, more recently, the street art scene is explosively making its way out of the underground to join the mainstream media unrivaled by any other artistic genre. Famous street artists like Banksy are publishing books and documentaries such as Exit Through the Gift Shop (Burnham, 2010, p.137): The most notable example being Shepard Fairey who designed Barak Obama’s famous “HOPE” poster (Figure 1). Which undoubtedly effected the presidential election of 2008 in Obama’s favor and even winning the title of design of the year (Etherington, 2009). Indeed, street art is now more prevalent than ever and it is an important catalyst for evoking creativity and emotion from its audience to enriching the culture.

Shepard Fairy’s Hope Poster

For example, London has seen one of largest influx in street art and has been under the microscope in the art world thanks to the reputation of a single street artist named Banksy (Ross, 2016, p.278); and rightly so, his unique style blending stencil and public sculpture and cleverly incorporating critical message in a humorous and easily digestible manner has made him an artist that is one of a kind. On the other hand, in the underground art scene, he is seen in a much different light – accused of plagiarism and ripping of lesser known artists (Peitzman, 2012), and having a feud between a graffiti legend named King Robbo (Lamden, 2014). As well, others see Banksy’s iconic style of stencil as a way of copout, easily able to create a clean and elaborate work in a matter of minutes without necessarily developing a high degree of skill (Kostove, 2017). These are all valid counterarguments to deface Banksy – but despite various controversies, Banksy has influenced the mainstream media, culture, and the political landscape through visceral style and usage of satire.

Banksy’s Ethiopian Child with Burger King paper hat

Banksy’s Napalm

Guantanamo Bay in Disneyland

Walled off Hotel in Bethlehem

Banksy’s art in auction

References:

A Point of View: What’s the point of satire? (2015, February 13). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31442441

Bambic, A. (n.d.). A Brief History of Stencil Art ∙ Quick, Simple and Explosive | OPEN WALLS Gallery. Retrieved March 3, 2017, from https://openwallsgallery.com/what-is-a-stencil/, https://openwallsgallery.com/what-is-a-stencil/

Banksy Accused Of Plagiarism By Zine Author. (n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2017, from https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/arts-and-culture/banksy-accused-of-plagiarism-by-zine-author/67588.htm

Banksy opens Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem. (n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2017, from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/banksy-wall-hotel-bethlehem-170303223157930.html

Banksy Visits Disneyland. (2014, December 30). Retrieved March 4, 2017, from https://gtmoinnola.wordpress.com/portfolio/banksy-visits-disneyland/

CNN, S. C. (n.d.). “Hope” artist’s new posters protest Trump. Retrieved March 4, 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/19/arts/shepard-fairey-trump-inauguration-posters-trnd/index.html

Is “Banksy on Advertising” Plagiarized? (2012, March 14). Retrieved March 4, 2017, from http://boingboing.net/2012/03/13/is-banksy-on-advertising-p.html

Lamden, by T. (n.d.). Real identity of Banksy graffiti rival King Robbo revealed after his death. Retrieved March 4, 2017, from http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/real_identity_of_banksy_graffiti_rival_king_robbo_revealed_after_his_death_1_3716164

Library, C. N. N. (n.d.). 2015 Charlie Hebdo Attacks Fast Facts - CNN.com. Retrieved March 4, 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/21/europe/2015-paris-terror-attacks-fast-facts/index.html

Peitzman, L. (n.d.). Viral Banksy Quote on Advertising Plagiarizes 1999 Zine Essay. Retrieved March 4, 2017, from http://gawker.com/5892332/viral-banksy-quote-on-advertising-plagiarizes-1999-zine-essay

Ronald McDonlad and Mickey Mouse by Banksy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2017, from http://www.stencilrevolution.com/banksy-art-prints/ronald-mcdonald-and-mickey-mouse/

Ross, J. I. (2016). Routledge Handbook of Graffiti and Street Art. Routledge.

Shepard Fairey wins Design of the Year. (2009, March 19). Retrieved March 5, 2017, from https://www.dezeen.com/2009/03/19/shepard-fairey-wins-design-of-the-year/

The 50 Greatest Banksy Works of All Time10. <em>Guantanamo Bay</em>, 2006. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2017, from http://www.complex.com/style/2013/11/banksy-greatest-works/guantanamo-bay

The Story Behind Banksy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2017, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-story-behind-banksy-4310304/

widewalls. (n.d.). DiY Banksy - Is Street Art Becoming Too Easy? Retrieved March 5, 2017, from http://www.widewalls.ch/diy-banksy-is-street-art-becoming-too-easy/

0 notes