The Art of Banksy - Banksy in Paris

Banksy is a British graffiti artist whose works of political and social commentary have appeared on streets, walls, and bridges of cities throughout the world. His message is usually anti-war, anti-capitalism, anti-consumerism or anti-establishment. He is very hard on the human race and calls people out as devotees of materialism, war mongers, religious hypocrites and reprobates. 

He remains anonymous because graffiti is a criminal matter, and there are those who see him as nothing more than an over-hyped vandal. Nevertheless, Banksy has managed to become one of the world's most recognized artists whose work is executed in a distinctive stenciling technique and who has remained relatively anonymous. His style has elevated him beyond a man with a spray can to a highly creative artist in his own right.

The Espace Lafayette-Drouot in Montmartre in the 9th arrondissement of Paris was an old underground parking garage rehabilitated to be exhibition space. 

Espace Lafayette-Drouot presents a unique installation, “The World of Banksy: The Immersive Experience.”  The World Of Banksy occupies three levels, with 51 works from private collections, and 42 stenciled walls. These Banksy frescoes have been rendered in full size by a dozen graffiti artists from around the world. It is called an “immersive” exhibition because you can enter physically into the graffiti world and witness Banksy’s work in a street context. I went to the Banksy exhibit in Amsterdam, and saw his artwork framed, on the wall--it makes a world of difference to see life-size renderings, as Banksy originally did them. 

Start of the Visit

Gangsta Rat 

Banksy explained his fascination with rats: "They exist without permission. They are hated, hunted, and persecuted. They live in quiet desperation amongst the filth. And yet they are capable of bringing entire civilizations to their knees."

Rats are emblematic of street art itself. On a lighter note, Banksy confessed, "I’d been painting rats for three years before someone said, ‘That’s clever, it’s an anagram of art,’ and I had to pretend I’d known that all along."

Out of Bed Rat was originally painted on a stucco wall in Los Angeles in 2002, but this began to deteriorate, so it was removed in 2013 and listed at auction for $400,000. The piece was then transported to Brooklyn and then on to Italy to be restored. 

Sandwich Board-wearing Monkey (2002) is the artist’s take on Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. A monkey is standing upright with a sandwich board hanging on its shoulders.  The words on the sign predict that the downtrodden will rise above the rest of society. As in the “Planet of the Apes” films, our primate ancestors will fight for their rights and respect in a human-dominated world. Along with the rat, the monkey is one of Banksy’s most frequently used animal figures.

Somewhat dimly lit, the exhibit starts in the basement and creates an atmosphere not unlike the conditions under which Banksy operated to avoid being arrested for vandalism.

The Statue of Liberty, an American symbol of freedom, is wearing a gas mask because she has lost the freedom to breathe clean, healthy air. The inscription on the tablet she is holding is July 4, 1776, the day of the Declaration of Independence of the US.

Waiting in Vain (New York), painted on Larry Flynt’s NY Hustler Club on West 51st Street, the piece depicts a man in a tuxedo holding wilting flowers. The man may be waiting in the wrong place if he wants to find real love. The roll-down shutter was removed for display inside the strip club.

Graffiti is a crime

According to Banksy, "Graffiti doesn’t always spoil buildings, in fact, it’s the only way to improve a lot of them."

If Grafitti changed anything, it would be illegal

Banksy’s piece pays homage to anarchist and women rights activist Emma Goldman, who said “If voting changed anything, it would be illegal”. 

Balloon Girl

The red heart-shaped balloon drifting away from the little girl is associated with the fragility of hopes and dreams that every person has in his life.

In October, 2018, the painting, Balloon Girl partially shredded itself moments after it sold at Sotheby’s auction house in London for $1.4 million. A secret shredding mechanism had been inserted into the frame prior to the sale, and a remote-control button was pressed by someone inside the venue to activate the cutting mechanism. Banksy said, "In rehearsals it worked every time." At Sotheby’s, however, the spray-paint and acrylic on canvas only went halfway through the shredder. The winning bidder opted to continue with the purchase of the piece. "When the hammer came down last week and the work was shredded, I was at first shocked, but gradually I began to realize that I would end up with my own piece of art history," the unnamed purchaser said. Sotheby released a statement that said "Banksy didn't destroy an artwork in the auction, he created one," and called it "the first artwork in history to have been created live during an auction."

It can be said that the Banksy stunt was one of the finest moments in auction history. Ironically, despite Banksy’s criticism of artwork bought at sky-high prices by the rich, this piece is even worth more now than it was before.

There is always hope is the tagline for the Balloon Girl. It embodies the universal feeling that our basic needs and desires may some day be fulfilled. If you are less optimistic, your best course of action might be when the time comes to leave, just walk away quietly and don’t make any fuss.

Kids on Guns Hill 

The little boy and girl on a hill of weapons references the after-effects of wars and the consequences on children.

Banksy considers the clinging to certain traditions and dogmas as the fundamental evil of ethnic and religious conflicts. "The greatest crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules but by people following the rules. It is people who follow orders, that drop bombs and massacre villages. As a precaution to ever committing major acts of evil it is our solemn duty never to do what we’re told, this is the only way we can be sure."

Bomb Hugger

The picture of a young girl hugging a bomb was one of Banksy’s original creations back in 2003, where it was reproduced on a wall in London’s East End. The piece symbolizes the horror of war next to the innocence and purity of the young girl – good and evil joined.

In Golf Sale, Banksy adapts an infamous photograph of a protestor at Tiananmen Square, transforming this iconic symbol of political protest into a comment on consumer culture.

Happy Chopper 

The lead chopper has a pink bow on it, juxtaposing  the violence of warfare and militarism with the innocence of childhood.

The exhibit continues on the floor above, with a staging of the artist’s achievements in Bethlehem. In August 2005, Banksy painted nine images on the West Bank barrier at the border of Palestine and Israel. For a perfect immersion, the installation also plays a helicopter buzzing in the background. 

"The Israeli government is building a wall surrounding the occupied Palestinian territories. It stands three times the height of the Berlin Wall and will eventually run for over 700km – the distance from London to Zurich. The wall is illegal under international law and essentially turns Palestine into the world’s largest open prison." – Banksy

Banksy encourages people to visit Bethlehem and to explore the art and politics for themselves. “If it’s safe enough for a bunch of sissy artists, then it’s safe enough for anyone.”

The Flying Balloon Girl (Bethlehem/Palestine 2005) is levitating above the wall as she holds onto a bunch of balloons.

Donkey Documents depicts a donkey having its papers checked by an armed Israeli soldier, mocking the stringent security measures enforced by the Israeli government. 

Little Girl Frisking Israeli Soldier/Stop and Search (2007 Bethlehem) reveals the end of innocence for children living in the West Bank.

Boy Playing on the Beach 

There is an illusion of a hole in the grey wall, and through this false hole, a blue sky is visible. The little boy is not on the beach side, but on the concrete side of the wall and closed off to happiness or freedom.

Love is in the Air/ Flower Thrower (Jerusalem 2003) features a man dressed in traditional riot gear, with a bandana hiding his face, and his cap on backward. His stance is one of a person about to lob a Molotov cocktail; he's taking aim and is ready to throw his weapon. However, instead of a weapon, he holds a bunch of flowers (which are the only part of the mural to appear in color.) This piece is located on a wall on the side of a garage in Jerusalem on the main road to Bethlehem. Banksy is advocating peace instead of war. His message is: wage peace, a message which originates from a Poem “Wage Peace” by Judyth Hill, written after the events of 9/11 in 2001.

Helicopter dropping Spray Cans

Banksy’s Dove of Peace (Bethlehem/Palestine) wears a bullet-proof vest with a target pointed at its chest, implying that someone intends to kill it. Even though the dove comes as a symbol of peace, it still has to wear a flak jacket, demonstrating that conflict on the West Bank continues.

A reconstruction of one of the rooms of the Walled Off Hotel, the conceptual hotel opened by Banksy in 2017. It is located a few steps from the wall at 500 meters from the checkpoint to Jerusalem and a mile from the center of Bethlehem.

Israeli & Palestinian Pillow Fight

Monkey bellhop

A mural painted on the emergency exit door of the Bataclan theater in Paris was dedicated to  the 90 people who died in an Islamist attack on the Paris venue in November, 2015. In January, 2019, thieves with a van stole the door on which the mural, particularly symbolic to Parisians, was painted.

Little black girl spray painting over a Swastika (Paris)

It appeared near a center for migrants in northern Paris on June 20, World Refugee Day.

Bonaparte Crossing the Grand-Saint-Bernard (Paris 2018)

A classic portrait of Napoleon shows him shrouded in a red robe, possibly a reference to the French government’s opposition to Islamic veils in public places.

The top floor of the exhibit is dedicated to England, motherland of the artist.

 Slave Labour (London 2012)

A child making Union Jack bunting (row of small colored flags) for the Diamond  Jubilee (Queen’s 60th anniversary) sends an anti-consumerism message by illustrating the use of children and sweat shops to produce mass merchandise.

 Umbrella Girl  relies on her umbrella for protection against the rain, but discovers that the umbrella itself is the source of the rain. “People may think the best thing for them is helping them, but in reality it is hurting them.” --Banksy

Burning Tyre (Bristol, 2016)

Banksy painted a 14-foot mural on a wall of a British elementary school in his hometown of Bristol. The stick-figure girl is hoop rolling, only she’s pushing along a tire billowing fire and smoke and moving away from a schoolhouse and toward a solitary flower. Banksy created the mural as a present to Bridge Farm Primary School after the school named  a building after him. 

“Dear Bridge Farm School, Thanks for your letter and naming a house after me, please have a picture. If you don’t like it feel free to add stuff, I’m sure the teachers won’t mind. Remember—its always easier to get forgiveness than permission. Much love, Banksy.” 

Banksy may be urging the children to be aware of the damage that pollution, suggested by the burning tire, does to the environment and ultimately results in global warming. The child is running away from the school--Banksy, always anti-establishment, tells the children to alter his picture if they want to, or perhaps do things differently from what they have been taught in order to save the planet.

No Ball Games (London)

In North London, there are outdated signs in the park that say, “No ball games - cycling - dogs.”

London Maid and Season’s Greetings

Season’s Greetings (Port Talbot, 2018)

A child apparently enjoys eating snowflakes, but turning the corner, we find out that it’s actually ash from a dumpster fire that he’s catching on his tongue. The mural deals with the environmental issue of air pollution. It appeared in the town of Talbot in Wales, home to one of the largest steelwork plants in Europe.

London Maid

The maid is either lifting the cover to clean underneath it, or she is taking sweepings and placing them under the cover, referring to something that is “swept under the rug” to hide anything of note. What we don’t want to see, we hide from view.  It is one of Banksy’s most ambiguous works.

Well Hung Lover

Painted in 2006 on the side of a sexual health clinic, it is the first legal piece of street art in the UK. Following a survey by the Bristol City Council, the mural was granted retrospective permission and protection, despite featuring nudity.

Tagging Robot

A robot spraying a bar code onto the wall as a pigeon flies away. The number of the bar code is 13274125, which is the DNA code for homo sapiens.

Queen’s Guard Pissing was made to look real and mimic what people do in that location.

Snorting Copper features a policeman on his hands and knees snorting the road markings as if they are a line of cocaine.

Kissing Coppers and Angel

Kissing Coppers

Banksy frequently taunts policemen and shows them in a negative light, probably because they are the ones working to eradicate his vandalism Kissing coppers was “one in the eye” for the police as well as for homophobes.

Angel in Bulletproof Vest is a tribute to English graffiti artist OZONE, who was hit by an underground train in Barking, East London in 2007. The angel in a bulletproof vest is holding a skull.  Banksy wrote a note on his website, saying:  “The last time I hit this spot I painted a crap picture of two men in banana costumes waving hand guns (Pulp Fiction spoof). A few weeks later a writer called Ozone completely dogged it and then wrote "If it's better next time I'll leave it" in the bottom corner. When we lost Ozone we lost a fearless graffiti writer and as it turns out a pretty perceptive art critic. Ozone - rest in peace."

While the value of Banksy’s pieces soars, a number of his works exist only in memory or photographs. Documented examples of Banksy’s street art have disappeared altogether, been whitewashed over or destroyed.  Due to the prominence he has achieved, some of his public artworks are now protected behind sheets of plexiglass,  allowing them to be protected or restored more easily.

If you want to see more Banksy, I did a blog on his artwork while visiting Amsterdam a few years ago.  You can find it at:

 www.comegoabroadwithme.blogspot.com