From September 1 to 19, 2021, we could take part in a unique exhibition The Art of Banksy. Without Limits, which took place at the Praga Koneser Centre in Warsaw.
The event presented over 100 works of the artist. Therefore, we decided to present the most popular works of the author.
One of the best and most famous Banksy’s works. It was featured in the painting that became the main subject of the Love is in the Bin action, Banksy’s famous performance at Sotheby’s in London. It has many interpretations. One is about entering adulthood and longing for lost carefreeness. Another is leaving the burdens of the past behind and moving optimistically forward.
This work was painted on the wall of a gas station building on the highway to Jerusalem. It expresses rebellion against the elites and the authorities. The figure of the masked Palestinian exudes hatred and courage. The man is preparing to throw a grenade. Instead of a grenade, however, he holds a bouquet of flowers. The colorful flowers are often interpreted as support for the homosexual community.
Many Banksy murals are featured on the 760-kilometer-long wall dividing Israel and Palestine. They depict the reality of life in the Gaza Strip, as well as the views of the author himself. According to him, Palestine has become the largest prison in the world. One of the most famous murals is the figure of a girl who wants to fly over the wall using balloons.
The artwork depicts the characters played by Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta in the 1994 film Pulp Fiction, with guns replaced by bananas. The graffiti template was displayed on a wall near Old Street tube station in London from 2002 to 2007.
The artwork was placed on the wall of The Prince Albert pub in Brighton. It evoked many emotions and established the image of the author as a provocateur. Interpretations vary. One is support for the homosexual community. Some interpret the work as a mockery of the police and the entire system.
It is interesting to note that the owners of the premises where the original graffiti was displayed transferred the mural to canvas, and sold the original because it too often fell victim to vandals.
Rats appear very often in the author’s murals. For Banksy, they are a symbol of all the people who have been left on the margins of society in the course of a globalizing world. As the author himself says: “They exist without permission. They are hunted, hated and persecuted”. They are also often a symbol of the rat race.
One of the artist’s most recent murals. It appeared in March 2021 on the side wall of a former prison in Reading. The Escaping Prisoner was meant to resemble Oscar Wilde, who was imprisoned in Reading Prison, with a rope tied from sheets and a typewriter attached to the end.
MAIN PHOTO: Nicolas J Leclercq/unsplash.com
