Introduction
Imagine you're walking the streets of Bristol one night. Just as you pass a corner, in the distance you notice a hooded person standing near a wall. You take a few more steps, and notice the faint spraycan hiss. The person shifts in their place, kneeling down, and revealing a graffiti they seem to be working on. Do you call someone? The owners of the building probably won't be happy, will they? On the other hand, the painting itself looks interesting. Should you continue your walk, and let them be? Is what they're doing vandalism or art?
Task
You will research Banksy and some of his works, then answer questions regarding art, making up your mind on some of the controversial aspects of the topic.
Process
Banksy is one of the most notable British artists to date. His street art most often conveys a deeper meaning hidden under dark humour. One of the things that made him so famous is his on-going anonymity, as well as his seemingly lacking care for public property. His works are often found on the side of the buildings, or popular tourist attractions.
Read the articles and watch the videos showcasing some of Banksy's art, then proceed to answer the questions with your own opinions.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51504255
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-6-iconic-works-banksy
https://blog.musement.com/us/the-most-iconic-banksy-works/
QUESTIONS:
1) What is your favourite piece of his and why?
2) Do you feel that this sort of art is a form of vandalism? Why, why not?
3) Does any amount of meaning justify the more radical ways of expressing it (i.e. "destroying" a statue, or "defacing" a building)?
4) What does anonymity have to do with art? Why, in your opinion, has Banksy stayed anonymous?
5) Regarding the introduction portion, upon seeing someone actually performing street art, what would you realistically do, and why?
Evaluation
| Beginning (1) | Developing (2) | Accomplished (3) | Exemplary (4) | Score | |
| Answer 1 | The title of the piece | The title of the piece and an adjective describing it | The title of the piece, and a short reasoning behind choosing it | The title and short description of the piece, as well as developed reasoning | |
| Answer 2 | Answered the question with "yes"/"no." | Picked a side. | Picked a side, or stayed neutral giving few reasons for it. | Picked a side, or stayed neutral, giving a variety of arguments, for and against. | |
| Answer 3 | Answered the question with "yes"/"no." | Picked a side. | Picked a side, or stayed neutral giving few reasons for it. | Picked a side, or stayed neutral, giving a variety of arguments, for and against. | |
| Answer 4 | Answered the question with "yes"/"no." | Briefly explained the issue at hand without delving into their personal opinions. | Explained the issue, shared some of their own thoughts, but not extensively. | Clearly explained the issue, sharing their opinions and thoughts on the matter. | |
| Answer 5 | Answered the question with a few words. | Answered the question very briefly, without clearly giving it a second thought. | Answered the question with their thoughts on the situation, but no explanation on why they would take the actions, or vice versa. | Justified the actions they would take, clearly explaining their thoughts and opinions on the matter. |
Conclusion
Congratulations! You successfully delved into the world of street art and formed your own opinions on controversial aspects. Now, whenever the topic comes up, you are ready to participate in it. Perhaps you found the mentioned works of Banksy inspiring and are ready to take up art yourself or simply learn more about it? Either way, you hopefully ended up with newly formed opinions. Good job!
Credits
"banksyfilm" on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxbCoGJrG1TYaQ36fP7Huuw
Indrisek, Scott. "The 6 Most Iconic Works by Banksy," artsy.net, 2019
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-6-iconic-works-banksy
"Banksy: Who is Banksy? What we know about the anonymous graffiti artist?", BBC, 2020
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51504255
Musement Team."8 of the most iconic Banksy works," musement blog, 2021
https://blog.musement.com/us/the-most-iconic-banksy-works/