Kids On Guns
Kids On Guns
Signed Mixed Media
Banksy
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51 x 51cm, Edition of 25, Mixed Media
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Meaning & Analysis
Banksy’s Kids On Guns (2004) is a stencilled work, produced as an edition of 25, showing two children atop a mound of weaponry, with a love-heart balloon floating overhead. Remarkably similar Girl With Balloon, this Banksy artwork is both tragic and hopeful—depicting the fragility of innocence in the face of violence.
The young boyin the artwork holds a teddy bear while the girl holds a red, heart-shaped balloon. The image of a young female holding a heart-shaped balloon reappears in many of Banksy’s artworks and has become an iconic image closely associated with the artist’s name. The spray paint on canvas is rendered in black and white and the only colour in the composition comes from the red balloon. The simplicity of the black and white composition brings a sombre tone to the print.
In Kids On Guns the children Banksy depicts can be interpreted as representing childlike innocence. The balloon can be seen as a symbol for love and hope, while the pile of guns beneath represents the violence and suffering caused by war. The image can be read in two ways, both as a hopeful piece, suggesting that humanity can come together to overcome violent conflicts, but also as a pessimistic commentary on the devastating effect that war and conflict can have on society.