The Truth on the Wall: Interpretation of the Visual Transmission of the Political Message Through Selected Banksy Artworks

Abstract

Graffiti, as a form of street art, has had the advantage of using cities and public space as a canvas since its inception in the 1960s. One of the most important representatives of this genre is the street artist Banksy. Although he states that he does not consider himself an artist, his works are nowadays recognized as works of art; he is seen as a vandal because he uses walls and museums to express himself and convey his message; he usually has a wise message to think about important issues and crises that concern the world and humanity; and he draws attention with his activist side that does not shy away from the authorities. This research has been prepared as an essay focusing on his understanding of political art. The study begins with an introduction to who Banksy is and why he chooses to remain anonymous. The second section provides information on the concepts of street art and graffiti and touches upon Banksy's preferred stencil technique.  The third section, which forms the basis of the study, focuses on some of Banksy's politically charged murals after providing information about his understanding of art. This study aims to make an evaluation on Banksy's dissident/activist stance through the discussions on his anonymous identity and some of his important works with political content. Literature review method was preferred as the methodology of the study. First of all, Turkish books, articles and theses were searched, and the book "Banksy, the Man Behind the Wall" written by Will Ellsworth-Jones and published by Hayalperest Publishing House in 2015 was used as the main publication. As a digital source, the contents of websites about Banksy and his works were analyzed. As the main digital source, the website www.banksyexplained.com was utilized. In the light of the information obtained, it can be said that the anonymity of his identity increases his popularity while ensuring his protection; and that his political discourse on current problems, although it generally resonates, contains doubts that it serves to increase his fame.