Known for his politically and socially consciously charged artworks, Banksy often explores themes related to violence both directly and indirectly. Through his works, Banksy seeks to create a dialogue about the societal and political issues that underlie violence, and to critique the power structures that enable violence to occur whether institutionally, directly or through inequality.
HMV
Banksy is no stranger to showcasing animal rights. Indeed, his famous “Better Out Than In'' residence in New York City where he created new artworks each day during October witnessed his work “Sirens of the Lambs”, where a military-style cargo truck filled with squealing, stuffed animatronic livestock was driven around the Meatpacking District. Earlier in his 2008 "The Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill" exhibition, also in New York, which featured an animatronic leopard, monkey and chicken nuggets sipping tomato ketchup the artist stated, "I wanted to make art that questioned our relationship with animals and the ethics and sustainability of factory farming but it ended up as chicken nuggets singing." In HMV, we see man’s best friend at the forefront and, in a defiant act of rebellion, the dog turns the turntable on his master’s voice pointing a rocket launcher at the gramophone player. The work shows a seated dog facing a gramophone that has been anthropomorphised but the artist and casually aims at the gramophone. Violence and rebellion occur as the dog, taking arms against its master, to dry comic effect forgoes the usual tropes of being a “good boy”.
As with all of Banksy’s artworks, there is a deeper meaning behind the seemingly simple imagery and HMV is no exception. Could the work be a comment on the old vs the young? An attack on the commercialisation of art in many forms? Provocative and evocative, the work (however it can be read) is one of Banksy’s most well known.
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Love is in the Air
The concept and repercussions of political violence have existed since the dawn of mankind. In an attempt to create our sense of identity, belonging and self, far too often it has been done at at the exclusion of and to the detriment of others. Banksy’s use of humour in more overt political works, CND Soldiers and the self-destruction of Bomb Hugger, shows how humour can be used to effectively comment on and raise issues surrounding political violence. Arguably his most famous politically-tinged works, Love is in the Air sues typical Banksy juxtaposition to comment on the political violence and situation between Israel and Palestine. The title itself and relation to the motif play on the idea of violence being neutralised by love. The image makes one think of riots, repression and rebellion. Violent intent is an undercurrent of the work that the subject seems to try and escape through his throwing of flowers instead of weapons. Peace it seems is the way conflict should be settled not through violence or destruction. The bunch of flowers recalls innocence, of gifting and of settling arguments creating a message that is clear; peace not war and perhaps in its conjuring up of 60s riots is a nod towards the flower power movement of the epoque.
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Pulp Fiction
In his "Pulp Fiction" mural, Banksy depicts the iconic characters from the Quentin Tarantino film engaged in a violent confrontation. First appearing as a street piece in London’s Old Street, Pulp fiction was subsequently released by Pictures on Walls in 2004 in a signed edition of 150 and unsigned edition of 600. Pulp Fiction, as the name suggests, draws inspiration from the 1994 Quentin Tarrantio film of the same name. The artwork shows the two lead characters hitmen Vincent and Jules standing side-by-side at an angle poised and ready to shoot their weapons. The image highlights the glorification of violence in popular culture and suggests that our fascination with violent media contributes to the normalisation of violence in our society.
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Dumbo
Much like with HMV and the aforementioned New York installations, Banksy returns to violence towards animals and, in Dumbo, includes the context of the existential threat that seems to be on the minds of many Western states - people form the Middle East. A short film created by Banksy “Rebel Attack Rocket” during his 2013 “Better Out Than In” residency in New York City can be seen as inspiration for the work. The film was part of a wider effort by the artist to release one new artwork every day during the month of October. Thematically identical, the film features a group of Syrian rebels firing a rocket launch towards the sky and hitting an unknown target. As the story develops, we see the rebels capture the target who it turns out is Disney’s Dumbo.
The print was released in 2014 and showcases the artist’s subversive dark humour. In Dumbo, we see a group of unknown (presumably) Jihadists encircling the limp body of Walt Disney’s Dumbo. The figures, executed in Banksy’s typical stencil style contrast the colourful and Disney-esque style of the unfortunate pachyderm. We see the collision of two cultures (The Middle East and The West) who meet through violence and the desire to eradicate the other - sinister, humorous and poignant the work recalls other pieces such as Napalm and Christ With Shopping Bags where Banksy creates deeply provocative meaning through contrast and subversion.
To summarise, Banksy's works explore violence in a variety of contexts, from the violence of the state and institutions to the violence of war and exploitation of animals. Through his art, Banksy seeks to provoke discussion and reflection about the systemic issues that underlie violence in our society, and to challenge the power structures that enable it to occur.
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