Street art is just one way Banksy, the notorious graffiti artist-slash-social activist, lets his message be heard. Read about how he shocked the art world with his latest stunt involving a built-in shredder, an iconic piece of art and a ruined auction.
The Picture of Hope: Banksy’s graffiti art does more than mark up the streets of London. Some of Banksy’s more iconic works, such as “Girl With Balloon” and “Rage, Flower Thrower” proclaim a message of hope
With possibly the most daring prank ever pulled on the art auction community, there’s no doubt that Banksy has made art history. The stunt, which took place at Sotheby’s art house in London, threw bidders as well as observers into a frenzy as the piece entitled “Girl With Balloon” began to shred itself immediately after being sold for $1.4 million.
Banksy—an anonymous street artist as well as the piece’s infamous creator—later revealed on Instagram that he himself had built the frame-shredder contraption that caused all of the auction uproar. The sixty-second video also discloses Banksy’s intentions to destroy the piece if by any chance it was put up for sale.
Banksy’s shredding scheme, in actuality, doesn’t stray far from other projects he has taken on as an artist. The England based creator started off as a graffiti artist, often marking up the streets of Bristol. Each one of his pieces—ranging from enormous murals to tiny illustrations—is carefully crafted to convey a message surrounding various social issues. Although his methods could be considered vandalism, Banksy's art is much more than typical graffiti tagging.
Through satirical depictions as well as hints of dark humor, Banksy comments on a variety of topics, including politics, war and humanity as a whole. One of his most notable works, known as “Follow Your Dreams, Cancelled,” comments on the human tendency to settle for a “safe” lifestyle instead of risking it to pursue our dreams. Not to mention, Banksy’s piece “Rage, Flower Thrower,” discusses the broader world issue of unnecessary violence and advocates for peaceful resolution.
Banksy’s most recent stunt at the auction in London, denunciantes a system that he has vehemently opposed since the start of his career—capitalism. Nowadays, the seemingly carefree facade of the art world is being swallowed up by an obsession with material value and profitability. The proliferation of capitalism in the art community has long been propelled by the art auction establishment—a bartering system limited to the insanely wealthy in which they purchase and trade artwork that is deemed worthy. Often times, the pieces being sold at auctions are out of the hands of the artists that created them. The artwork, like Banksy’s, is sold second hand for a much higher price than the original artist ever intended.
The Serial Satirical Street Artist: Banksy’s graffiti art does more than mark up the streets. “Nobody Likes Me,” an illustration of a young girl crying comments on society’s tendency to base self-worth on their social media.
This obsession with material profit is something that Banksy has advocated against through several of his vivid street illustrations. His graffiti art ultimately belongs to the public, and the pieces themselves are meant to be enjoyed freely by everyone, not taken and used by others for capitalistic gain. On top of that, the pieces that get sequestered away in the homes of the self-important high-class, ultimately lose their purpose as representations of public hope and defiance.
Ironically, after Banksy’s piece had been shredded, its market value had increased by over a million dollars, seemingly only furthering the capitalist agenda of the art elite. This incident has placed a spotlight on buyers’ willful ignorance towards Banksy’s beliefs and their obsession with material value rather than the bigger message trying to be sent.
Banksy’s shredding stunt is a much needed wake up call to a society that has become so immersed in financialization. As art becomes more and more about money, artists themselves are compelled to create pieces that are commercially viable, and the true meaning behind artistic creation is ultimately lost. It’s clear that Banksy’s methods of expression have truly taken the art world by storm, and his efforts of reform are bound to make a lasting mark.