“The Urge to Destroy Is Also a Creative Urge”: On Banksy’s Work “The Girl With Balloon”

Abstract

Some activists and artists who create protest art have taken on questioning roles against global capital and injustices in today's world. Banksy, one of these artists and world-famous street artists, took remarkable actions in response to the negative effects of globalization by conveying socially important messages. It is important that his art is brave and simple, and that he attracts the audience in the first place. However, the depths behind his art leave permanent traces in the spiritual perception. The most important factor in Banksy's art being different and important is that his art is thought-provoking and he tries to raise awareness in the public.

The condemnation and frequent removal of his street art deemed as vandalism played an active role in the construction process of Banksy's works. Rapidly produced works aimed to deliver effective messages in a very short time.

His famous work, "The Girl with Balloon", which has succeeded in becoming an icon in different geographies, has also been able to show more with its disappearance than the effect it left on society at the time of its emergence with its simple and innocent visuality. This situation took its place in art history by exhibiting a political landscape as a criticism of the commercialization of art in the capitalist world.