1. TASK
1. What is political satire?
Political satire is a significant part of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment
from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and
dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political arguments where
such arguments are expressly forbidden.
2. How is it used?
It is used to bring light to contemporary societal problems and provoke change within a
culture. Many artists have tackled serious issues using this form of comedy to appeal to
their audience. Satire has been used for centuries as a means of assessing the faults of
society.
3. What is graffiti? Explain.
Graffiti is writings or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other
surface in a public place.Stickers and other adhesives are not considered graffiti. Graffiti
ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and has existed since
ancient times, with examples dating back to Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.
4. Choose a Banksy image that catches your attention.
5. Explain what you think he is trying to say with this specific work of graffiti/art.
In my opinion, I think this art refers to the economic-social status. Rich people is seen as
the ones who are perfect, have everything in life and are the happiest in the world; so
2. being rich is what the ‘other ones’ (middle class and low class) want to become in life, is
everybody´s goal. What I mean is that the majority of people’s achievement is to be like
high class people; however this lifestyle is out of the reach of both low and middle class
because rich people are just a few ones. I think that Banksyis trying to say that middle and
low class always would want to be in a higher position and high class is the top one (their
role model), so they (low and middle class) wish to be like them because society has
imposed that the perfect and powerful ones are the people that the other classes must be
and become so in that way they will be ‘happy’ and ‘perfect’. What I understand about this
art is that low and middle class do everything to reach this position (rich class) but that
‘lifestyle’ is out of the reach of them so that’s why the art says “…is currently out of stock”.
6. How do you think these images influence individual people and society?
I think these images drag the attention of every person that walks by these streets
because these graffitis/arts are very uncommon and some of them say things that are
about the reality of their society. It also makes you analyze what is that image trying to say
and as a result you make a reflection about the issue that this art/graffiti reflects. Banksy’s
artworks have a lot of influence above people because of the issues he portrays in each
one, and because it also speaks about other people’s realities from different countries, so
in that way individual people and society would realize about their current situation and
that every nation have many things in common like them.