Artworks

Turf War by Banksy was first exhibited at the namesake show 'Turf War', his first in London. The exhibition opened in the summer of 2003 but the police shut it down after only two days as puportedly Banksy was being sought by the Metropolitan Police. The work depicts Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister during World War II, as a punk rocker. His bald head topped with a bright green mohawk that arguably references the meaning of turf as grass, a 'turf war': a fight for territory between street gangs and perhaps that war is nothing more than a dispute between two sides fighting over a piece of land.

Queen Vic (Queen Victoria) is now a famous iamge satirising power and the tale that Queen Victoria simply could not comprehend the possibility of a gay lesbian relationship especially between women and therefore approved laws against homosexuality. Queen Vic is caught in the act of 'queening' by Banksy.

Like many of Banksy’s works, this image has an official title and one adopted by the public. Officially Bomb Love, the public have adopted Bomb Hugger or Bombhugger as its title. Used in various formats including this screen print from 2003, a year which saw large demonstrations in Great Britain in opposition to the joint armed intervention with the US against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Against a
reassuring pink pop background, a little girl hugs a bomb as though she’s hugging a teddy bear. arguably reflecting the UK and US government media message to assure a positive and reassuring justification to the war to “export democracy” and do away with weapons of mass destruction.

Flying Copper by Banksy depicts a policeman in riot gear with his face covered by the peaceful “smiley” face of the 1990's rave scene, a contemporary revisit to the 60's peace and love movement. Perhaps the symbolism of the party smile contrasted with the gun suggests how oppression and threat can hide behind a friendly face or that those in a position of power may not always be what they seem.

Banksy’s Virgin Mary is also known to the public by the name Toxic Mary due to the toxic hazard symbol that adorns little baby Jesus’
milk bottle. According to some interpretations the image is an explicit criticism of the role of religion. According to others, it makes a powerful
statement about how we are educating our children today. The work recalls the classical Orthodox icon, the Madonna and Child, in a style
typical of the Italian Renaissance. Reworked and elaborated by Banksy the image drips downwards in a particular stylistic nod to the artist’s
early urban street art.

NOLA by Banksy refers to the affectionate name with which New Orleans inhabitants call their city (New OrLeAns). The
image of a little girl under an umbrella, showing the rain falling from inside the umbrella itself, appeared as a wall painting in
New Orleans in 2008, following the devastating passage of hurricane Katrina. A climate event that significantly damaged the city and caused the largest public evacuation in US history. Banksy explained in the media that the image speaks about how things we do to protect ourselves can also harm us. In New Orleans, the disaster occurred following the collapse of the protective banks that were built to protect the city. The work was subsequently made into various colourway prints and paintings.

Rude Copper by Banksy is one of the first works the artist made on paper. The policeman is shown flipping off the spectator. To put his works up in public spaces, Banksy inherently challenges the local authorities, personified in British culture by a patrolling policeman or 'Copper'. The artist has stated to have come across many of them, and his stories about these encounters reveal the foundational principle of street art: to make something beautiful, you don’t have to ask permission.  It was rumoured in the early 2000's that one of these prints was hanging behind the bar inside the London Police headquarters. Understandably, never substantiated.