Banksy posted on his Instagram account a work of art with a strong symbolic meaning. It pays tribute to George Floyd, an African-American man killed by a police officer in the United States. The artist uses this work to denounce racism and police violence.
But who is Banksy, the committed artist?
The artist has been active since the 1990s, he is particularly known for his works of street art (urban art) that are satirical or committed. Banksy remains to this day an anonymous artist. However, some information seems to be circulating about him. It would be a man, British from the city of Bristol, with white skin. Indeed, in a 2003 interview, The Guardian described this man as "white, 28, scruffy casual – jeans, T-shirt, a silver tooth, silver chain and silver earring. It looks like a cross between Jimmy Nail and Mike Skinner of the streets." Today, his fame is international and his street works are recognized. Often, the messages he tries to convey are anti-capitalist, libertarian or anti-system. To cite one of his many provocative acts, he painted in 2005 on the wall built on the Israeli-Palestinian border. At that time, he made nine paintings, including the well-known one of a young girl who seems to fly away thanks to balloons. More recently, for the 2019 holiday season, he posted one of his works on Instagram as a video, aimed at denouncing the situation of homeless people in Great Britain. https://www.instagram.com/p/B52l1NkHa71/
A strong symbol resonating on current events
Banksy therefore uses the magnificent power of art to defend his values and denounce inequalities. This is once again the case since he posted on Instagram a new work directly related to the murder of George Floyd. It is a drawing accompanied by a text. The drawing is dark, we see the portrait of a black man, surrounded by flowers. The only source of light comes from a candle setting fire to a hanging American flag. Burning the American flag can be seen as an anti-patriotic symbol, this gesture was repeated in many scenes during the protests in the United States. This work powerfully represents current events: racism as well as police violence. The tribute to George Floyd seems obvious, it is confirmed by the text written on the last photo of the post:
"At first, I thought I was just keeping quiet and listening to what black people had to say on the issue. But why would I do that? It's not their problem, it's mine. People of color are being let down by the system. The white system. Like a leak in a pipe in the apartment of the neighbors below. This broken system makes their lives hell, but it's not their job to fix it. They can't, no one will let them live in the apartment above. It's a white problem. And if the whites don't fix it, someone will have to go up and break down the door."
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBFyA8iM15Y/ A message that echoes the current problems that the artist seems to be concerned about.
