Critical Review
Monkey Detonator is a stencil spray paint on raw hessian produced by Banksy in 2000. The work comes in an edition size of 25 and shows a chimpanzee in the centre of the composition. The animal appears to be jumping on a bright yellow bomb detonator. The monkey’s mischievous smile suggests it is happy to be setting off the bomb. This unique edition of spray paintings features one of Banksy’s favourite animal symbols- the monkey. Monkeys feature in other notable artworks by Banksy such as Laugh Now and Monkey Queen.
Much like the interpretations of these two other pieces, Monkey Detonator can be seen as a commentary on animal rights and how our time is running out before the oppressed, be that the working class or animals we keep in cages, will strike back. The inclusion of a bomb means the artwork can also be viewed as a comment on war and violence. Many of Banksy’s artworks such as Heavy Weaponry and Mosquito use animals to make comments on modern warfare and society’s obsession with war.
Monkey Detonator captures the essence of Banksy’s visual style, characterised by the use of the spray paint and stencil technique. Banksy adopted this method in the 1990s as it enabled him to produce artworks quickly so as to avoid being seen by the public or worse, being caught by the police.
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