Interaction of Text and Image Investigation

Interaction of Text and Image Investigation

Banksy

Banksy, and anonymous street artist, has become a cultural phenomenon in the two decades or so since he emerged onto the art scene in the 1990s. His well-crafted, stenciled works of street art provide satirical commentary on contemporary politics and social issues, or just on life itself, in ways that are somewhat enigmatic, leaving the viewer to complete their meaning. However his art is arguably the most controversial street graffiti in the world, but it has inspired many to follow in his footsteps and a whole subculture has been created because of how powerful his work is. This subculture includes using techniques like stenciling and the interaction of text and image to juxtapose two different ideas in one piece. While out with his crew one night, the police showed to up to arrest them, Banksy hid under a garbage truck to avoid prosecution. While hiding he noticed stenciled lettering and realized that by stenciling he could get a job done and get away quick enough to avoid arrest. Banksy incorporated this into his art and is one the of the reasons why he is still anonymous today. His work has become so popular that art collectors attend auctions where his art is sold off for hundreds of thousands of dollars to the highest bidder. Banksy does not care for the money however, he only cares to share his art and the messages that are held in every one of his pieces.

What Have I learned/ How Did the

Artist Use It?

In Banksy's work that he combined and image and text together he did so in a unique way. His image alone would represent one thing, but with the text it represented something totally different. In "Follow Your Dreams Cancelled" one of Banksy's famous works, a black and white man has appeared to have painted a "Cancelled" stamp over the words "Follow your dreams". Art is left to be interpreted by its viewers and therefore can have multiple meanings. If I were to take away the words then I see a black and white man. He looks like a lower class painter from the early 1990's, his use of only black and white could also signify that it is not a modern day person since colored pictures or film was not present at that time. and thats most likely what he is. But when you add the left portion of the painting, the text, then multiple meanings can be extracted for the work, all much more complicated that a picture of a man. I thought this piece was trying to show how older generations are stomping on the younger generations dreams because I myself have encountered many adults who believe that my dreams are too far for me to grasp. Other people thought the painting was trying to say that the government prevents people in the lower classes to achieve their goals. This could be true as well along with infinite other possibilities. Another aspect of the interaction of text and image is that the background on the artist is sometimes crucial to decoding their work. Banksy is known to lash out and illustrate contemporary politics which further backs up the earlier claim. But there is rarely a single concrete message behind art, its suppose to leave the viewer wondering and thats exactly what Banksy has done with his work.

Inspiration and Personal Use of this Technique

Learning about Banksy and analyzing his work and the techniques he uses has showed me the power of art and how it can be used to show feelings about politics, global issues, and social issues. Art isn't just for enjoyment, it can be used to educate the public and i love that. I love his hidden messages, juxtaposition, and artistic oxymorons. I want to make a difference in the world through my art the way Banksy does. I am excited to incorporate text and image into my work and maybe even try to put stenciling into some of my Hybrid work. Id like to make a projection onto a wall possibly of a stencil looking character animation or something of that nature.