possibly 2007
This artwork is another stencil work created by Banksy. This picture seems wrong in all sorts of ways. Is the policeman groping the girl, or is he searching her for illegal substances? Does this happen in real life or is it an exaggeration? Why is there a stuffed animal and a pink lunch box beside the girl? Is she carrying her lunch in there or something else? Does the policeman have a legal right to search her?
These are all sort of questions you should be asking yourself. This isn't a picture with an accompanying text to explain exactly what it's about. Banksy has a huge advantage in being anonymous- his works are even more interesting because no one is being given a real answer. Think about an artwork called Untitled. It leaves the imagination running- it keeps the suspense going like when you're watching CSI and there's only 5 minutes left to the episode but no one knows who the killer is and there's 5 different suspects. When you're making a work of art, think about the story behind it: how much of the ending do you want to reveal through the title or the elements in the artwork?
- What do you think the boy in the red shirt is thinking?
- Do you think it's possible not to notice something like this on the wall? How come?
- How is using a stencil useful to Banksy? Why doesn't he just paint it right on the spot instead of spending hours preparing a stencil at home before spraying it on a wall later at night?
Detail
