London, New York, Bristol (Heavy Weaponry)
London, New York, Bristol (Heavy Weaponry)
Signed Mixed Media
Banksy
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54 x 57cm, Edition of 10, Mixed Media
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Meaning & Analysis
Banksy's 2004 spraypaint on canvas artwork, London, New York, Bristol (Heavy Weaponry), from a signed edition of only 10, 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 canvas shows an elephant walking across the composition, set against a dark grey backdrop. The elephant is rendered in green using a stencil in Banksy’s quintessential street art style. The elephant has a rocket strapped to its back and is captured walking past a barcode that says ‘heavy weaponry’ beneath it. Spray painted at the top and bottom of the composition in white are the names of the cities in which Banksy has painted the majority of his murals, London and Bristol.
The image can be interpreted in various ways and the anti-military message is arguably the most obvious interpretation. Many of Banksy’s images carry an anti-war sentiment, such as Kids On Guns and Bomb Love.
The oversized barcode behind the elephant is a visual motif that appears in many of Banksy’s other works, such as Barcode Leopard. The barcode acts as a symbol for Capitalism, consumerism and perhaps, viewed in this context, the money wasted on modern warfare or the commodification of war.
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.
