Banksy and Me

Figure 1 Blue Poles, also known as Number 11

This is my painting that I did in 1952.  And the picture below is that of Banksy, a famous street graffiti artist, done in 2008.

Figure 2 Swinger

To begin, I think that Banksy’s and my artworks are different in many ways and I shall discuss them here today.

Firstly, our artworks are different in the fact that they are done with different mediums and are on completely different platforms. My artwork, although does no take on any recognizable form, is rather traditional in terms of the materials I used. The very traditional combination of oil paint on canvas was used in my painting. However, Banksy had used spray paint on a brick wall to execute his. This is a significant difference and I think that it is rather representative of the change in times. In my time, street art was not as appreciated or as widely recognized as a form of influential art.

Secondly, in my painting, there is no distinguishable forms or shapes. The colors I used are vibrant and eye catching, such as bright yellows and oranges. The darker blue lines in the middle of the painting are emphasized upon by the surrounding bright colors. The untidy arrangement of the lines also gives this sense of movement in which the lines could almost be pictured to be swinging back and forth, just like the movement of the swing.

Banksy’s Swinger is similar to mine in this aspect. His piece has a simplified appearance but the forms are generally still sharp and distinguishable. Although he used a limited palette in the creation of his artwork, the only colors he used was black, white and red, the piece is still eye-catching due to its monochromatic nature. The colorful real life surroundings would emphasize on the piece and allow it to be the center of attention. The boy depicted in mid swing would suggest motion and this also matches my painting in the fact that his depicted a sense of movement as well.

In conclusion, I feel like although these two artworks seem so different, there are still factors that make them similar. The fact that these two artworks are done in different times also suggests the strong, growing influence of the art world as its forms becomes no longer limited to paintings on canvases to be showcased forever in a museum.