Blog 1: Image Number Two

All art does not necessarily need to have a purpose. Some art forms may simply elicit joy or a liking for a specific piece of art. Other art forms such as advertisements and graffiti may have not always fit in the classic category of art, but they sure do now. Banksy, for instance, is, in my opinion, a great artist whose purpose is to voice his or her political opinion on a current or past political issue. Sure the stencils from Banksy do not take after styles from Monet or Picasso, but it can still evoke emotion and thought from a viewer. Is that not the point of art?

For example, one image from Banksy is that of a messenger bird spreading its wings. The bird holds a stem of a small branch with leaves on it, and wears what looks to be a bullet proof vest. Following the classic color choice of the artist, the image is displayed on a relatively plain, grey background. In the near bottom right corner, there is what looks to be a small box that could possibly be for electrical purposes. Using this plain grey wall as the background, Banksy paints an image with meaning and what I myself get from it, passion. The white carrier pigeon spreads its wings wide and shows its left side of the face, revealing the right eye. As mentioned previously, it holds a small branch with leaves on it in its yellow-orange beak. The vest that covers its chest is a combination of a light and darker grey color. Maybe the most thought provoking aspect of the image is the red target that crosses directly over the bullet proof vest where one can imagine the heart of the pigeon to be.

In an almost ominous tone, the colors that stick out the most are white and grey. The hint of green from the leaves, the yellow-orange from the beak, and the red from the target are also quite visible; they are almost like a second layer to the image. What interests me is the red target. Although made clear when looking closely, the part of the target that covers the vest almost blends in with the grey color.

As for meaning, this bird could be portrayed easily as a carrier pigeon. With that

said, it carries the branch of leaves in the beak and looks to me, like a peaceful bird. It is almost like it is offering the branch to someone as a token of peace. The vest on the other hand is a sign of defense. The target, well, is the potential threat. To me, the target does not look menacing as it reminds me of a harmless video game. Put into the context of the entire image, it is quite menacing.

It is hard to know exactly what Banksy wanted the audience to get out of this image if there is even a message itself. One can argue that “we see things not as they are, but as we are.” With that said, this message is to show the threat to peace. The purpose is to relate with others on the topic of peace and possible international relations. This carrier pigeon wants to make peace, but is threatened for trying to advocate that message. Could this be about war, or about neighboring countries? In my opinion I think it is about both. How often do nations enter a war to help out another country? Sure it sounds good, but is it that nation’s right to enter in something that may not be a problem in the eyes of those who live where armies are evading? Is this bird foreign support coming to help a nation? Say for example Fishers was going through tough times and they were having trouble with their mayor. Carmel sends their carriers of peace over to help but that means sending in a large group of people. Chaos erupts because this is now affecting the everyday lives of civilians. These civilians of Fishers are now mad at Carmel because it was them who tried to change things by bringing in their people to fix a problem that is not theirs to begin with. That is very far fetched and not necessarily anything like a real war as circumstances play a big role in war, but it is simply an example of what is just one of my interpretations of this image. I personally believe in working together on a global scale and simply thought of that as food for thought.

Going along with my thoughts, this image could be placed in a country that has recently been to war, is currently in a war, or has been affected by war. That leaves room for many potential locations. That also leaves room for a large audience by claiming that nearly everyone has heard of war or has been personally affected by war.

Remember, this is only one interpretation of this image. This could have endless possibilities for what a meaning behind it is as well as the audience and purpose. I believe that is what is so great about art. It is always open to interpretations and can spark thoughts about what could be.