What is the phenomenon of Banksy?

Banksy is thea new face of art with his unique and recognizable style. The (presumably) England-based artist is sometimes called 'vandal' Banksy's street art carries explicit political messages. His satirical graffiti are made in the stencil technique, appears randomly in different parts of the world, while the author remains anonymous.  are many speculations and theories on his identitythis article, the most common  of him being an individual, rather than a group of people, male, British, and having an active political . 

Our perception and the development of art, the way we define it, has been changing drastically with the rapid developments digitalization and globalization.  If we look deeper into history, “for many centuries, up until the mid-nineteenth century, architecture, painting and sculpture were the three principal visual arts of Europe.” (Walker, 2001). In the highly globalized and digitalized contemporary world, access to art and the growth of various kinds of art forms keep rising every year.  more than ever before, art andmedia  "dominated by the fine arts but by the mass media" as its central medium (Walker, 2001).

” (Walker, 2001).

Among all the available options to write about for this article, I have chosen what, in my opinion, is a great combination of art, intellectual thought, pop culture, and activism. This article aims to analyze the phenomena of Banksy and his artworks, as well as how the artist strategically manages to trigger media activity and audience attention. Below, I will explain the art of Banksy as a popular and artistic object, what practices are icarried throughout his works, the boundaries of popular culture in his art and his relationships with the audience.

Banksy is a worldwide famous street artist and activist. There is not much information available about him. Appearing like an urban hero with an active social stance, in his art, Banksy criticizes “changes brought about by the industrial revolution, by the development of a capitalist economic system, and by the emergence of an urban, consumer society, have irrevocably altered the social context in which fine arts operate.” (Walker, 2001). Banksy's works became symbolical to the contemporary world in carrying anti-consumerism, anti-war, anti-fascism, and anti-imperialism messages as the author combines street art, popular culture, and social activism. He does not only put the outstanding art forms but is also known for attaching deeper political meaning to his graffiti for the audience to decode and reflect upon.

Banksy is a well-known activist, who uses art as a way to raise awareness and protest against current issues, such as climate change, military conflicts, and poverty. “While hiding from the limelight, Banksy has made himself into one of the world's best-known living artists. His pieces have fetched millions of dollars at prestigious auction houses.” (Ellsworth-Jones, 2012). He is one of the most influential and respected street artists, who voices such important matters as politics, violence, capitalism, ethics, and culture.

To write this article, the literature on the topics of art and specifically on Banksy was used. Artist's works, such as ‘Napalm Girl’ and ‘Girl with Balloon’ will be critically analyzed. To strengthen certain points of this assignment, I am going to use digital ethnography to try to understand the way he operates online and the response of Banksy’s fans to his identity and art. Because of the artist's anonymity, the online dimension is the only accessible way for Banksy to communicate with his audiences. On the other side of the spectrum, social media are the way for artist's fans to communicate, research, and discuss his art, as well as his identity. The essay is divided into four parts: Introduction, Phenomena of Banksy’s works, The identity of Banksy and Conclusions. Some of them are subdivided into smaller sections dedicated to different practices contained by his performances.

The Phenomenon of Banksy’s works: art or strategic plan?

The works of Banksy, as well as activism behind them, carry multiple functions. Three primary practices of his works, namely activism, political, and intellectual practices; popular culture practice, and artistic practice, make Banksy stand out from the crowd of other street artists and political activists. I will elaborate on each of them in more detail.

Art by Banksy Banksy

Banksy's activism, political, and intellectual practices

At first sight, it seems that the primary aim of Banksy’s works is to raise awareness of societal issues. His art motivates the audiences to think about the current world problems, and topics of life and death, war and peace, humanity, and activism. The popular motifs of his criticism are ecology, digitalization, capitalism, and world politics. Such works of Banksy as ‘Slave Labour’, ‘Kissing Coppers’, ‘Rage, the Flower Thrower’, and ‘Napalm Girl’ have become quite an authority in the world of contemporary art. They carry powerful messages and apply to the deeper meaning, such as the war and peace in ‘Rage, the Flower Thrower’, or capitalism and conflict in the ‘Napalm Girl’.

Figure 1: ‘Rage, the Flower Thrower’ (2005) by Banksy.

Although Banksy is mostly popular for his street art, he also creates statues, performances, and has built a hotel. Banksy’s graffiti became the face of an epoch, the criticism towards many of the world’s issues. Unlike many other kinds of street art, his works are most likely to save and multiply their value if we look at them from a long term perspective. This is due to Banksy’s ability to capture the topical issues in direct and creative ways, but also due to his performative artistic persona.

Popular culture practice

One more function deals with popular culture. Due to the usage of street art, he builds a bridge between high-flown art forms, deeper political message, and broadcasts them directly to popular audiences. Banksy popularizes art amongst broad audiences by making it available on the streets and openly accessible public spaces. He captures his works with ease and irony and they are relatively easy to understand and to interpret. In his own words: “They motivate the audiences to think about the current world issues, as well as about deeper meaning of being in a long-term perspective”. Banksy uses walls and spray paint, and the figures he illustrates are easily read and are accessible. This makes him quite welcomed for both niched art critiques and a wider audience.

Banksy has developed a signature style that makes his works popular in broad public. Marshall (2006) in his work talks about the intense homogenization of musical products after the industrial revolution, as one of the key transformations of art. Similarly, Banksy has a very recognizable style in the contemporary context. Even though his graffiti appear in different places, we could always recognize him due to his style. His works might capture bits and pieces of a specific context of a certain area, however, they remain homogeneous and distinct.

Artistic practice

The artist's works entail a meta-discourse on art itself, especially the institutional perspective of fine art. Banksy's art is criticism and a sign of protest ion itself. This may also explain why he chooses graffiti, a type of art in an open public space since audiences do not need to purchase tickets for the bounded ofgalleries and museum.

Even though the roles of both activism and popular culture are quite high in the works of Banksy, the artistic aspect is still predominant in adding value to his graffiti. The aesthetics of his works are appreciated worldwide. Banksy’s art is kept secure and recently got exhibited in galleries. Some of his art objects are sold for over 1 million US dollars.

However, Banksy does not appreciate all the monetization of his works. LHe set up the shredding of one of his mural “Girl with balloon” as a sign of a protest, right after it was sold in an auction. The whole action appeared to be a well-planned performance. The moment the auction alarm sounded, the painting started an automatic process of shredding itself with the help of an inbuilt frame mechanism. Banksy commented on his Instagram account as: "The urge to destroy is also a creative urge", quoting Picasso, which adds another link between mass and high cultures. The performance turned out to have then opposite effect on his work. Art experts claim it could be worth even more after the damage.

The ‘Napalm Girl’ example

To make the claim about multiple meanings- political messaging, artistic value, the usage of pop culture, more visual, I am going to explain it using the artist’s graffiti Napalm Girl’ (2004-5). Napalm Girl is work . It shows us three figures, two of which are the family-friendly faces of American capitalism. Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald signify the well-being of American children and what the government do to away from war

Banksy

In the middle, we can see Kim Phuc, a girl, who is also known as the ‘Napalm Girl’. She was captured by a photographer during the Vietnam War and represents the fear and the dangers of that period. Such a combination of characters makes a political claim about the dominating values of capitalism and the influence of America in the world on multiple levels, namely as a political authority, but also as a producer of dominant cultural narratives. It also deals with the spectacle effect and high commodification value of the image. 

The combination is quite controversial, and it significantly adds to a high artistic value. Both the manner and the composition of his art accord to the high artistic standards. This graffiti is one of the most famous works of the artist.

The usage of popular symbols, such as Mickey and McDonald brings this work closer to mass culture. The two characters are highly mediatized and recognizable. Even though ‘Napalm Girl’ by Banksy is highly appreciated in ‘high’ art circles, it was still drawn on a wall with simple spray paint, which makes it more readable for popular audiences. In such a way, in one work we can see three practices merging: political and intellectual one, artistic, and the one dealing with popular culture.

Banksy uses his graffiti as a tool to build a bridge between popular culture, arts, and activism. He connects street art and ‘high flown’ spaces and audiences employing art galleries and auctions. This practice is strengthened by his political message. At the same time, besides creating a well-appreciated and highly-valued art, he does not hesitate to use popular characters such as Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald, as simple and well-known figures to make the political statement more visual and accessible for different types of audiences.

The identity of Banksy

Banksy has chosen to remain anonymous and this fact plays a significant role in his mediated persona. The hidden identity of Banksy has become a part of his artistic performance. It has a cultural background to it, it makes him into the modern days ‘Robin Hood’, and it plays a huge role in his connection with the audience. Because the hidden identity of Banksy became an important part of his performances, this part of my essay will deal with tCultural backgrounds of Banksy’s identity, its mediatization and profit, The pop star practicesConnection with fans.

All four parts are necessary to look at if we want to discuss the works of Banksy. His mysterious identity has become more than just his persona. It is a statement and a performance, which evolved into a significant part of his art.

Cultural backgrounds of Banksy’s identity

Graffitis until today are considered vandalism. Many street artists hide under pseudonyms and this practice is an important part of the graffiti culture. Banksy prefers staying anonymous due to his provocative works which often carry a political statement. “He claims he needs his anonymity to protect himself from the forces of law and order” (Ellsworth-Jones, 2012). Many believe that it is questionable whether his influential status in the art world would save him from the legal consequences of his actions.

However, it might be the case that Banksy's authority would save him from facing vandalism charges. There is a big chance that the unwillingness of being exposed and the 'legal' motivation is a part of a well-thought-through identity. In other words, it can be a smart ploy to draw more attention and fans' respect, as well as recognition within the street culture.

Figure 3: Response to the discussions around the identity of Banksy “Banksy’s real name is”. Diggit Magazine

Mediatization and profit

The mystery around his identity adds to the rush of the fans and media, who try to discover his true personality. Bansky is a case of an anonymous celebrity, which confront the very sense of celebrity. “Advertising, publicity and packaging appropriate images from the art of the past and the present.” (Walker, 2001). At the moment, due to his anonymity, he appears as a hero, as a ‘lone’ genius, who defends the world by putting controversial meaning into his works and motivating audiences to think critically about them. “We all enjoy the mystery of the man who has somehow managed to get himself described as ‘Robin Hood’ even though he is hardly robbing rich to feed poor” (Ellsworth-Jones, 2012). He is well-appreciated not only because his works carry powerful messages and artistic value, but because he seems to be uninterested in getting personal fame in return. He makes his anonymous identity into artistic practice, which adds to his image as a whole. When we talk about Banksy and his works, we talk about the rebellion, who uses his mysterious personality as a brand.

The secret identity also adds to the popularity of the artist and contributes to the value of his works in the market. One more ingredient to such a mysterious role is the fact that his art unpredictably appears in different places. He is untrackable and no one can predict when and where the next work of Banksy will be placed. Such a system reminds of a quest in which the public has to discover the new item.

When it is done, the local and international media alike explode with the messages about the artist, trying to find the aim of the placing, the cultural value, and the hidden symbolism. In such a way, the artist and his works receive lots of promotion, which leads to popularity and recognition. His identity, even though it seems rebellious and mysteriously hidden, is carefully planned and quite beneficial for the artist. As we can see below, on the screenshot from the website quora.com, people are particularly interested in all kinds of details about his persona. Questions like ‘Who is Banksy in real life?’ and ‘What is known about Banksy?’ intrigue the audience.

Figure 4: Questions (mostly related to the identity) about Banksy on Quora.com. Diggit Magazine

The pop star practices

Not only his works are in the center of public attention, but the artist himself is quite a sensation and a matter of general interest.  Media rush around Banksy and the mass reproduction of his works as souvenirs on such websites as ebay.com, aliexpress.com, etc., contribute to creating a celebrated status of the artist.

Connection with fans

Meanwhile, the ‘true’ fans of the artist stress the need to protect his identity and respect his will to remain anonymous. To build a parallel with the pop stars: “Through the use of the technologies of reproduction and distribution, the possibility of a fundamentally different relationship of the audience to the pleasures of popular music and their stars became manifest.” (Marshall, 2006). In one of the cases, Banksy’s fans tried to save the piece of the wall with his graffiti to hide it from the damage (Gregory, 2009). Fans build the communities of appreciation, document, and even physically protect some of his works.

Concerning fan audiences, the parallel with contemporary pop stars (Click, et al., 2013) could be established. “In total, research examining contemporary celebrities’ use of social media points to the importance of interactive media in the creation of an expectation of communication between fans and celebrities that feels both real and two-way.” (Click, et al., 2013). Banksy also uses the internet as the main way of communication with his fans. The author has an Instagram account followed by 5,6 million people (05.04.2019) and an official website. He uses the former for keeping his fans updated about the new projects he is working on. “Although online relationships and conversations between celebrities and fans remain mediated, fans increasingly experience them as real and authentic, reinforcing their feelings of truly “knowing” celebrities.” (Click, et al., 2013).

Figure 5: Official Instagram of Banksy. Diggit Magazine

In his account, there are numerous pictures of his graffiti, mostly without any description. In such a way he turned his Instagram into the unofficial and fast-medium, where he can straightforward inform his admirers about his new works. His bio says “not on facebook, not on twitter”, which adds more value to his Instagram. Due to his anonymity, such an attitude only warms up the interest of his audience. His fans know that if they want to look for Banksy on the internet, they have to check his only account. Social media are very helpful for the artists to build on communication with their fans and to keep them updated on the important events in their art. “The increased potential for celebrity-fan interactions in social media allows fans additional opportunities to feel close to celebrities” (Click, et al., 2013). Although the artist does not engage with his fans in the comment section, his posts create the feeling of addressivity and presence and encourage fans to react to them.

Banksy also has an official website where he collects photo documentation of all of his art performances, such as graffiti, sculptures, his hotel, etc. However, even though the website banksy.co.uk has a ‘Q+A’ section, it does not give any direct two-way communication with his fans. The option sends you to write an email: “Send all questions, complaints and threats to faq@banksy.co.uk.”, which is not nearly as fast and straightforward as communicating through the public Instagram account.

We can see the importance of social media in the artistic practice of Banksy. The artist only makes the audience more curious by never posting pictures of himself, however publishing photos of his works in a random manner, without mentioning locations, or descriptions of his art. This contributes to his popularity and celebrity status, as well as popularizes the messages of his works. “[...] Modern celebrities increasingly utilise social media to mobilise audiences towards philanthropic and activist cause” (Bennett, 2014). Choosing the platforms where the direct feedback is immediately available, and which reachare spread among the billion audiences, is a strategic tool of engaging and stimulating the attention of the artist's admirers. Banksy's art is often controversial, which makes his posts contoversial, too. This very much helps triggering discussions in comment sections, especially when the artist adds his comment to describe the work, as then the interpretation of the author is also talked about. Social media are also helpful for fans, who know how to address the artist and where to look for ‘original’ Banksy.

The phenomenon of Banksy

In this essay, we have looked closer at the art of Banksy, one of the most well-known street artists in the modern world. Through the analysis, we were able to see the activist, artistic, and political aspects that he puts into his art through the messages and positioning of his works. With the help of ‘Napalm girl', we could visualize the artistic, activist, and cultural practices of the art of Banksy. We also got to know the role of the identity in Banksy’s performance as well as how it plays a role in his connection with the fans and building on a persona in the media.

Banksy a phenomenal artist. The influence he has on contemporary culture is quite high, as everything he does is highly appreciated and discussed in society. This is the result of the hard work, careful planning of the meaning put in his art, and the role of his identity and social media appearance.

References:

Banksy, [year unknown]. Retrieved from: banksy.co.uk on 04.04.2019.

Bennett, L. (2014). ‘If we stick together we can do anything’: Lady Gaga fandom, philanthropy and activism through social media. Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group.

Click, M. A., Lee, H., Willson Holladay, H. (2013). Routledge Taylor and Francis Group.

Ellsworth- Jones, W. (2012). BANKSY The Man behind the Wall. St. Martin’s Press. New York.

Gregory, M. (2009). Banksy fans move an entire wall - to save his work from, er, graffiti artists. Daily Mail. 

Walker, J. A. (2001). Art in The Age of Mass Media. Pluto Press.

Marshall, P. D. (2006). THE MEANINGS OF THE POPULAR MUSIC CELEBRITY. The construction of distinctive authenticity. Taylor and Francis.