Critical Review
Girl With Balloon (metal) is a spray paint stencil on copper produced by the internationally recognised street artist Banksy in 2006. The artwork, which comes in an edition size of 5, shows a young girl spray painted onto a metal backdrop. The girl is positioned to the left of the composition and is rendered reaching out for a red, heart-shaped balloon which is floating away from her towards the edges of the composition.
Girl With Balloon has been produced in various iterations and has become one of Banksy’s most recognisable images. In a poll in 2002, Girl With Balloon was voted Britain’s favourite artwork, a testimony to the wide-ranging appeal of this iconic image. Girl With Balloon first appeared in 2002 spray painted onto a concrete wall under the stairway of a loading dock in London’s South Bank. While there are no remaining renditions left on the streets of London, subsequent series of canvases and prints capture the appeal of this compelling image.
The image of the girl reaching out for her balloon has become a symbol of innocence and hope. Banksy’s artworks are often deeply satirical and steeped in anti-establishment sentiment. This artwork is much lighter in tone and can be interpreted as a comment on freedom.
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