Heavy Weaponry (canvas)
Heavy Weaponry (canvas)
Signed Mixed Media
Banksy
30 x 30cm, Edition of 25, Mixed Media, 2004
£75,000-£120,000
$140,000-$230,000 Market Value Indicator
$140,000-$220,000 Market Value Indicator
¥690,000-¥1,110,000 Market Value Indicator
€90,000-€140,000 Market Value Indicator
$790,000-$1,270,000 Market Value Indicator
¥16,090,000-¥25,750,000 Market Value Indicator
$100,000-$160,000 Market Value Indicator
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Meaning & Analysis
Banksy's 2004 spraypaint on canvas artwork, Heavy Weaponry, from a signed edition of only 25, features a stencilled elephant with a rocket on its back. The image reflects Banksy's anti-war stance, and critiques the military-industrial complex’s negative impact on humanity and nature through his signature wordplay.
The work is defined by its minimalist style and iconic tone. The image is set against a plain backdrop and the elephant dominates the centre of the composition as it is captured in motion strolling across the plain of the artwork. The use of stencils is a characteristic feature of Banksy’s visual style. The artist started producing freehand graffiti drawings, however switched to using stencils as it enabled him to speed up the artistic process and avoid being caught by the police and being spotted by onlookers.
The image of the elephant bearing a rocket on its back can be interpreted in various ways. The primary message of the print is anti-military, in line with Banksy’s other works using similar imagery. Using the elephant as an anti-war symbol resonates with other famous Banksy works in which various animals are used as symbols, for example, the way monkeys are used to represent ordinary people or the ‘masses’ and their interactions with the establishment in Laugh Now.
