Riot Cop
Riot Cop
Signed Mixed Media
Banksy
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101 x 69cm, Edition of 2, Mixed Media
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Meaning & Analysis
Riot Cop is a spray paint on card produced by the British street artist Banksy in 2004. Coming in a signed edition size of 2, the artwork shows a policeman holding a gun and wearing full riot protection gear. The policeman’s face is replaced with a yellow smiley face. The comic smiling face contrasts markedly with the way the police are viewed by society as enforcers of law and order.
The policeman is rendered using a stencil and spray paint and grey and black dominate the composition which is set against a plain white backdrop. The use of spray paint and stencil produces a bold, two-tone style which has become a defining feature of Banksy’s visual language. Banksy started his artistic career with freehand graffiti drawings, however the artist started using the stencil method in the 1990s as it enabled him to speed up the production of artworks and avoid being seen by onlookers or being caught by the police.
Riot Cop touches on themes of war, violence and the police state, subjects which Banksy often explores in his artworks. The spray paint also reflects a characteristic element of Banksy’s street art which is the use of humour to satirically critique war, violence capitalism and greed. Banksy’s artworks are highly political and capture the artist’s anti-establishment sentiment.
Renowned British street artist, Banksy, is the enigmatic figure behind some of the most subversive works in the Urban Art scene. Despite his anonymity, the artists' disruptive stunts have not only gained him notoriety, but they have vocalised his stance on many social and political issues. As seen with the likes of Girl With Balloon and Napalm, Banksy uses his distinctive stencil technique to produce thought-provoking commentaries on challenging themes. The showcase of rebellion that lines his work has caused his secondary market value to soar in recent years, propelling him to the top of the Urban Art scene.