Shush! No crap! Just watching this!
The video is made by a famous youtuber named Joe Sugg (aka ThatcherJoe). What have you seen on his bedroom wall? If you were not aware of this important detail, I suggest you to replay the youtube video again until you find it out.
Here it is! It turns to be a copy of a painting. But in fact, it is not a painting, it’s a graffiti on the wall of a pubilc building. “Another damage by an idle teenage!” Are you complaining the bad behavior of these kind of rebellious kids? “Lack of discipline?” “Uneducated?” “Unruly?”…That’s quite enough! What you regard as a “vandalism” is actually a great artpiece. “Wait, what are you talking about? You see it’s a…” Shush again! Calm yourself down, let me tell you the real meaning behind this unusual graffiti:
The graffiti “Flower Thrower” was made by Banksy at West Bank, Palestine in 2005. Here is some essential knowledge for you to undersand the background of the graffiti:
Palestine has been occupied by the Israeli army since 1967. In 2002 the Israeli government began building a wall separating the occupied territories from Israel, much of it not authorized by international law. This is also known as the “Segregation Wall” in certain circles. (Quoted from “Banksy who? Who Is Banksy?”)
Painting this wall with satirical graffiti in 2005, many of the pieces illustrating life on the other side, was one of the stunts which Banksy received most media attention for.
Secretive “guerrilla” artist Banksy has decorated Israel’s controversial West Bank barrier with satirical images of life on the other side. The nine paintings were created on the Palestinian side of the barrier. (Quoted from the BBC NEWS Report “Art prankster sprays Israeli wall”)
Balabalabala….We needed the fact of one artpiece was maded, it is so-called “art history”. But if you are not a professional student of art, will you able to understand an art painting? I think the answer should be “yes”. All of us have our personal feelings, and of course the artists also do, try to find out the thought hiding in the lines and colours, realize what he/she wanted to express to the viewers, both you and the artist have the same feelings on the equal level. Then, Wahla! You got it!
And now back to the topic of Banksy’s graffiti “Flower Thrower”, it use a satirical trick (replacing the oncendiary, grenade, stone or somthing else with a brunch of flower in the protester’s hand) to expess the rationality counterwork against the dictatorship of government. Sometimes such a slient pledge is more powerful than a real revolt.
When you see a graffiti on a street corner, remember to have a think what the kid want to say other than complaining his/her misbehavior. This will be my little suggestion for you.
A×R×T 