Banksy: Image Analysis

This Banksy classic conveys a strong political point regarding to the Palestine Wall.

The initial reaction is thought-provoking and evokes the feeling of anger. Banksy has cleverly used faith, an issue personal to many, as a political tool. The use of Mary & Joseph drives the issue home to the western world, where the large majority of people are Christian (or at least are ‘culturally Christian’).

It is interesting how there is a metaphorical juxtaposition in that Mary & Joseph, and by extension Christianity, represents things like peace and love, where as the wall is a product of hate and division. In this image, the wall prevents the good intentions from being carried out. It therefore motivates the viewer to act on the issue, even though there is no stated intention to do this on the image itself; it speaks for itself.

There is also a visual juxtaposition between the old/traditional and new/modern. A very traditional picture-perfect scene is depicted in oil paints, yet this has been purposely vandalised by a modern monstrosity cutting through the image. There is the use of modern English as graffiti on the wall, as well as strong geometric shapes coloured shades of grey. The construction of the image is a complete reflection upon society.

In many ways, the picture is realistic and depicts an event that many believe occurred. In other ways however, the image represents the negation of humanity that the barrier represents. One would assume that ‘the grass is greener on the other side’ as the star is on that side, however the reality is that life is not particularly better on that side- and in fact if one is to study the nativity, life is certainly worse in Bethlehem. It is therefore intriguing that the image provokes feelings of anger and the urge to tear the wall down in order to create peace, despite the reality being somewhat different to what we want to believe. The image makes us believe what we want to believe, rather than what is true.

One may read into the position of the Shepherd in the image too, and question why he is there when the wise men are not. Banksy is attempting to make a further political point, demonstrating that it always has been, and always will be, the poorest and most disadvantaged in society that suffer from the evil in the world. It could be assumed that the wise men had ‘arrangements’ to get through the barrier, just as those in positions of importance today have.
It is indeed a powerful image that the majority of people can relate to in various ways. It seems that this painting is the peak of Banksy’s series of works relating to the Palestine Wall, and he has created an incredibly successful piece of work here to summarise his feelings.