Essay Sample on Girl With Balloon by Banksy
‘The girl with a balloon’ is known to be one of Banksy's most popular pieces. People all over the world can easily recognize this painting, it's one of the artworks that pop up when you search “easy sketches to redraw” on the internet. I have seen it about a hundred times over the years, however this is the first time I've taken any interest in it. At first I was under the impression that it was created by an unknown artist, but after watching ‘Banksy does New York’ did I come to know anything about the artist behind the infamous artwork.
This illustration contains a picture of a young girl in black and white, holding her hand out for a heart shaped red balloon. After extensive research, we know that Bansky is recognized for his usage of art to represent his political views as well as what he strongly believes in. This art piece to my understanding, represents the loss of innocence. The red balloon signifies the freedom that childhood has to offer. You can interpret this picture in many ways, it depends on how you want to look at it. Letting go of the balloon, meaning she is getting older and more hardships will befall her, or she is catching it, wanting to gain a new kind of hope.
From my standpoint, after writing about what the art could possibly mean, it makes me reevaluate how I perceive things. That there are always two sides of a story, different ways to look at a situation. It also makes me review my childhood. The part of me that I always blocked out for some reason. Makes me wonder if I really had a childhood or if I was always busy studying and thinking about my future. Sometimes it is okay to spare kids a gruesome life beyond their imaginations. Encouraging them that even though there's a big scary world out there, it is okay to dream.
This distinct piece requires a person to clearly think and dig deep. It is not a simple drawing of a child and her pretty red balloon. I believe that this particular art piece does have something to say about societal issues. Children are so eager to grow up and want to be able to do “adult things' '. While they're dreaming for the future to come, they aren't thinking about what they're losing. Adults on the other hand are telling their children, urging them to get a job at 15 and to study hard. Allowing them to be kids. I remember as a child, my parents would not let me go out more than once a week, and was told that I should make lots of friends so that I could compete with them academically. I was forced to sit at the kitchen table studying math and science when I should have been outside, learning how to skateboard or playing soccer with my neighbours. I think that what Bansky has drawn, means that kids should not be too antsy for growing up, and adults should let kids be kids.
The girl with a balloon was located in London in the year 2002. In my opinion, I think that this art piece was quite successful in its time partially due to its location. It was originally stencilled on the walls under the Waterloo Bridge at London’s Southbank. The name of this bridge commemorates the victory of the British, Dutch and Prussians at the battle of Waterloo in 1814. It was said that nine bidders had struggled for ten minutes, and the artwork was finally sold for $25.4 million, later to be renamed as ‘Love is in the bin. However, that was only back then. According to Sotheby’s, “the latest Banskys artwork for sale has an estimated selling price between $5,467,432 and $8,201,148”.
Another version of the piece had appeared around the same time in Shoreditch, East London. Compared to Banksy's other works, this art does not compare. Nonetheless it is one of his, and so people admired it , and wanted it for themselves.
Bansky makes you rethink what you're doing, makes you question reality and the world around you. I think society has improved after his “vandalism”. He uses his love and passion for art to get his point across, make a difference. This is something we can all admire and strive for.
