Street of Everything

How Banksy reforms the world

The world does not change by just

thinking about it. Daydreaming is not call to action. It is matter of taking actions and delivering right messages. In the world of disarray, art challenges people more

than ever before. Banksy made it very

clear with his work of art on the crowded street.

Free Zehra Dogan by Banksy. Source: http://www.banksy.co.uk

The societal movement comes in various forms. It brings the tides of people flooding in with

their own different voices into one common

louder term. Before democracy plays in, same

resistance movement caused the same type of oppression by past or current regime in many

countries — no freedom of speech, drawing,

simply banning any type of expression. Banksy

has drawn massive splash of impacts on Zehra

Dogan’s imprisonment for her art in Turkey by

spraying the entire wall for his art works at the

center of iconic New York City. That is his way

of movement for society, country, world, and

humanism after all. Single drawing has been

speaking louder than words of media. His artworks are not leaning on just another type of criticism toward society and the world, but rather

pinpoint what actions are required to bring hidden darkness into the light to reveal the truth

behind it.

His subversive messages take on capitalism and unauthorized sales of his own work by others at auction house. He criticized first, then he delivered astonishingly planned performance by

shredding the artwork of his when his painting, Balloon Girl, depicting of little girl reaching out

for the red balloon, was sold for 1.4 million dollars. He installed the shredder inside the frame

before the auction. He criticized auction participants for buying his work by depicting such

scene on his other painting. However, ironically, the value of Balloon Girl after being shredded

has risen to around 4 million dollars.

Audiences turn into buyer or collectors of artists, because there happens to be creating chemistry between them, a result of interaction in both

intellectual and psychological manner. That is

how we interact with the world around us.

There is a focal point of it. Banksy delivered it

with more articulately through vivid images and distinguished statues of performances.

Balloon Girl by Banksy. Source: http://www.banksy.co.uk

For his famous Cardinal Sin, putting pixelated

effect on the face of priest to emphasize and

reveal the child abuse scandal in the Catholic

church. He challenges people with work of art. He knows how to utilize artistic images with

vivid dimensions to bring the clear case to

audiences. He recognized the social issues just

like others but he does not stop at just by

knowing it and feel pity. He reacts to it. The way of action is completed by delivering it.

His intention has always been delivering distinctive messages through various forms of art

whether is drawing, painting, or performance.

Sceneries matter more in this case as he continuously disposing his works on crowded and abandoned streets and spots, accruing to societal

alertness and issues, drawing crowds to scrutinize and think about the world around them.

Of course, Banksy draw more attention from his anonymity, vandalism, and messages on the wall with graffiti.

However, his works are too clear in messages

and intentions to be disparaged as illegal graffiti. In the world of everyone-trying-to-be-famous, his rise to the iconic figure should not be taken

lightly. With power of internet, it is easier to

consider the best way to make an impact is by

being an influencer. Although it is not completely false, there is no absoluteness about it. It is

rather beyond the debate whether his approach is aggravating or alleviating societal issues. The world needs louder voices regarding where we

are and how are living it. It does not require

great amount of pressure on taking responsible actions on society, politics, or global affairs.

Banksy already proved crucial point about keeping low profile while making huge impact. His

intention is not sighted on fame or selling his

works to the wealthy, but rather on situations

and circumstances. It might sound exaggerating by calling him vigilante. But we get his point.

Recent uprising of fake news has put more

question marks about the authenticity and

innocence of what is surrounding us. It put us

on the blurred line of fire, causing ambiguity and chaos of right and wrong, truth and lie, and

humanity and disgrace.

It is the world of victimizing people who try to

unveil the truth. Soundly, Banksy has been

delivering explicit messages with honesty. That

is his manifesto. That is why Banksy must go on to resonate the value beyond our daily life. It is more than just a living through it. Street is

where people are every day. It is where things

happen whether it is good or bad. It is the

center of creation and destruction. Physical

presence is where our world is and how society has been formed. According to Aristotle, human is social animal after all. There is interaction.

Therefore, just like old say, seeing is believing.

For all of us, expression means thousand words.