Banksy's street-art that appeared in May 2010, Chinatown in Boston Massachusetts.
For most of us who look at this artwork, what do
you see? Do you see a cheerful and optimistic craft? Not really. When I look at
this specific piece of art, I see a gloomy, discouraging man who is
putting a harsh end to the happy-go-lucky saying “follow your dreams.” In may
2010, popular street artist and political activist white-washed a wall in Chinatown,
Boston and left his mark to the people around it. Most of us have been told by
our parents, friends, and teachers something along the lines of “reach for the
stars,” or “don’t stop until you get there.” However, according to Banksy
sometimes our dreams are in fact out of reach. The location which intertwines
with emphasis, colors, and contrast play roles in analyzing this text.
1. Let’s start with figuring out what street art
is. According to Art Republic, “street art is any art developed in public spaces. The
term can include traditional graffiti art
work, as well as, stencil graffiti, sticker art, wheat pasting and street
poster art, video projection, art intervention, guerrilla art, flash mobbing and street installations.” Though Banksy is credited
for this piece, he did not sign it. He wants the people who see this mural to
take in consideration if their dreams and realities are in reach. This piece is
not a useless piece, yet a plead for people to take and accept what it is
saying- we are no longer free to follow our dreams – until we change them more accordingly.
2. Isn’t it ironic that this art appeared in a low-poverty
section of Chinatown, in Boston, Massachusetts? In low- income areas, young teens
and adults are less likely to reach, let alone follow their dreams due to money
shortage, and other obstacles they face daily. I think the location of this art
is very crucial to its meaning. If you know anything about Banksy, it’s
interesting to know that he does all his work in secret. What is he scared of?
Politics? Controversy? Imagine this. If you see a man in broad daylight
painting this on the street, you might give an eye roll, or even call the cops
for vandalizing property and graffiti. It’s not like it was hidden from people
at all either, Geoff Edger’s from Globe Staff says, “What seemed like proof
stared out from a gray wall next to parking space number 32 in a neighboring
lot. There, a 6-foot-tall stenciled figure with a brush and bucket stood next
to the spray-painted cliché “FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS.’’ In typically Banksian
fashion, the drip-dried message had been stamped over with the word “CANCELLED,’’
outlined in red.” I can imagine that most people
could get offended at this work. He never does press conferences or interviews,
categorizing him as a man who keeps to himself, and works in silence.
3. The colors in this art do not
at all strike me as bright and buoyant. To start, he white-washed the wall and
grey scaled this piece to give it a very dull feel. Considering the only thing
in color is the big red “canceled” word that looks like a manufactured sticker,
while the words “follow your dreams” are looked to be hand-painted. The color
red is known as angry, forceful, and violent. Deeper look into the word
canceled, synonyms are as followed: abolish, destroy, remove, repeal, kill,
break off. I take it as though Banksy was trying to convey the word “cancelled”
as the main point of the piece by having it stand out. However, ‘cancelled’ looks
like a sticker. Sticker= removable. If the American people chose dreams that
are more in reach, the sticker can easily be removed. The picture shows that the words were freshly
painted, having the excess paint dripping down the letters to emphasis messy sloppiness.
4. The picture screams discouragement, including the tired-looking man
with his shoulders hunched down and a long face. Could he perhaps be an
immigrant failing at the vision of the American Dream? Chinatowns or places like it, like the one in
Boston, became immigrant havens where they can pursue the American Dream. The
realistic stencil of a lower-class worker is obviously an older man weathered
by life. He is not happy, and doesn’t seem to be capable of living the American
Dream. Banksy is representing Americans
as a whole, through this man.
Resources
Edgers, Geoff. "Tag - We're It." Boston.com.
The Boston Globe, 15 May 2010. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.
"Street Art." Artrepublic.com. Art Republic,
n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.
