"Banksy is a pseudonymous United Kingdom-based graffiti artist, political activist, film director, and painter. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed in a distinctive stencilling technique. Such artistic works of political and social commentary have been featured on streets, walls, and bridges of cities throughout the world"
In 2005 Banksy produced Jesus Christ with Shopping Bags, a stencilled work depicting Jesus Christ crucified and with outstretched arms holding shopping bags. The image features a haloed Jesus in black and white, with his body and shopping bags melting, and with a grey background.
In this work Banksy is criticising the commercialism in society and in particular of Christmas. Rather than being a time of focusing on the Christian values of love, charity, compassion and forgiveness, Christmas has become a time of personal gratification through materialistic consumption.
Straight away the audience's eyes are drawn to the salient image which is Jesus Christ. Facial expression and body language display Jesus as downcast, and weighed down by the shopping bags. Jesus' arms directs our attention to the shopping bags. In the shopping bags, one can see wrapped presents; a candy cane, and part of a Mickey Mouse doll, emphasising how this holiday season, which is supposed to celebrate the birth of Jesus, has come to represent consumerism. This contrasts with the teaching of Jesus, who criticised the focus on material things at the expense of moral and spiritual development. The juxtaposition of the images is shocking and a perversion of Christianity. The visual pan across Jesus' body contributes to the presents overshadowing the true gift given my Jesus, the gift of eternal life. This contributes to the emotive image.
The melting objects represent the ephemeral joy brought by material things. The crucifixion represents how people sacrifice themselves for material things, which ultimately do not bring satisfaction.
Jesus' body acts a vector line that runs down the page (top to bottom structure) to melting feet, symbolising that the message (of Christ's death) is being diluted. The cross has been removed, which again takes away from the meaning of Christ's death and sacrifice. It emphasises how today's society doesn't take Jesus' sacrifice serious any more, and possibly the notion that people today cannot handle the responsibilities of the cross.
The grey background conveys the gloominess in people’s lives when they are devoid of love, compassion, charity and other intangible values. The lack of colour also represents death and defeat. The use of red symbolises blood, and implies Christianity's loss of its power.
All these techniques Banksy has incorporated into his artwork, come together beautifully, to contribute to the understanding of the text and meaning he's tried to convey. Its very emotive and has a big impact on the way we think of Christ's ultimate sacrifice and our changing society today. Also, how we've become blind to materialism, and disregard the true meaning of the Christmas season.
In 2005 Banksy produced Jesus Christ with Shopping Bags, a stencilled work depicting Jesus Christ crucified and with outstretched arms holding shopping bags. The image features a haloed Jesus in black and white, with his body and shopping bags melting, and with a grey background.
In this work Banksy is criticising the commercialism in society and in particular of Christmas. Rather than being a time of focusing on the Christian values of love, charity, compassion and forgiveness, Christmas has become a time of personal gratification through materialistic consumption.
Straight away the audience's eyes are drawn to the salient image which is Jesus Christ. Facial expression and body language display Jesus as downcast, and weighed down by the shopping bags. Jesus' arms directs our attention to the shopping bags. In the shopping bags, one can see wrapped presents; a candy cane, and part of a Mickey Mouse doll, emphasising how this holiday season, which is supposed to celebrate the birth of Jesus, has come to represent consumerism. This contrasts with the teaching of Jesus, who criticised the focus on material things at the expense of moral and spiritual development. The juxtaposition of the images is shocking and a perversion of Christianity. The visual pan across Jesus' body contributes to the presents overshadowing the true gift given my Jesus, the gift of eternal life. This contributes to the emotive image.
The melting objects represent the ephemeral joy brought by material things. The crucifixion represents how people sacrifice themselves for material things, which ultimately do not bring satisfaction.
Jesus' body acts a vector line that runs down the page (top to bottom structure) to melting feet, symbolising that the message (of Christ's death) is being diluted. The cross has been removed, which again takes away from the meaning of Christ's death and sacrifice. It emphasises how today's society doesn't take Jesus' sacrifice serious any more, and possibly the notion that people today cannot handle the responsibilities of the cross.
The grey background conveys the gloominess in people’s lives when they are devoid of love, compassion, charity and other intangible values. The lack of colour also represents death and defeat. The use of red symbolises blood, and implies Christianity's loss of its power.
All these techniques Banksy has incorporated into his artwork, come together beautifully, to contribute to the understanding of the text and meaning he's tried to convey. Its very emotive and has a big impact on the way we think of Christ's ultimate sacrifice and our changing society today. Also, how we've become blind to materialism, and disregard the true meaning of the Christmas season.