Shredded and Consumed

Written by Marissa Beaty

Photography by Noah Laroia-Nguyen 

We are a society of consumers. We are a generation, however, who disvalues the consumer monologue. That is, we are a group of people with the desire to create more and build better but only things that are of value. No longer do we want to feed into consumerism, but how exactly can one do that? And is that even possible in today’s climate? Enter Banksy, an anonymous street artist, that pokes at and exploits the boundaries of today’s urbanized societies.  Banksy’s work is known for its simplistic color scheme and line, which is contrasted with complex emotional topics. One of his most famous works is “The Girl with the Red Balloon.” This piece is beloved, not only for the contrasting colors, with the dark black and white of the girl popping against the red of the balloon, but also for how it is painted.  “The Girl with the Red Balloon” is a work created with spray paint and stencils, the chosen medium for most of their Banksy’s work. What is interesting about this is the ability to replicate it. It is a piece which is made out of materials used for reproduction, yet only this one work, created by this one artist, is fantasized about.  This creates an interesting dichotomy, for Banksy is an artist who utilizes art and medium to protest against the urbanized, consumerist world, yet this contradicts itself as the work is done in a medium that is synonymous with consumerist ideals: the act of replication.  This is where it becomes important to looks at the underlying message of Banksy: the fact of choosing this medium is done in irony, only propelling the notion that we consume things based on what we believe will project a sense of value, or class, or status. Banksy wants to show us how arbitrary this is, a feat done not merely through the creation of the work, but through its destruction as well.  On October 6th, 2018, “The Girl with the Red Balloon” went up for auction at Sotherby’s - a well known auction house with offices in Paris, London, and New York. With ease, the piece gained bidders, its price rising quickly, and its value stricken at $1.4 million dollars. As the auctioneer stated the final price, and congratulated the buyer, the piece began to move. The bottom edge suddenly was disappearing behind the thick wooden frame surrounding the image, only to reappear beneath the frame itself in shreds. Half of the piece was sliced apart, only leaving the utmost top of the work untouched from the blades that were deceptively hidden by the artist themself.  What does this mean? Why would an artist destroy their own work, especially one as lucrative as this?  It circles back to this notion of consumption. By shredding “The Girl with the Red Balloon,” Banksy is arguing against society's obsession with commodification, exploiting the absurdity of commodifying and consuming a piece that directly argues against that same system.  The problem is, however, that in destroying the piece, Banksy has made it all the more fascinating and desirous to potential buyers. It seems a game of cat and mouse, in which art is the tool for commenting on societies faults, but society has yet to comprehend the true meaning of the art. Regardless, Banksy attempts to remind the world that consumerism should not be taken so lightly - and, in this example, will not be taken wholly.