Critical Review
Mosquito is an acrylic and spray paint stencil on canvas made by Banksy in 2003. The canvas comes in an edition size of 25 and depicts a mosquito rendered in Banksy’s signature stencil-graffiti style. The mosquito is captured wearing a gas mask and is captured in motion, flying across the canvas. The mosquito appears to be a combatant in action, swooping down, ready to attack.
The meaning of this image is open to interpretation, as are many of Banksy’s artworks. The work is imbued with irony as the gas mask is meant to be protecting the insect, but also prevents it from drinking blood and sustaining itself. The gas mask also prevents the mosquito from stinging anyone, rendering it impotent and disabling it from hurting anybody, despite the insect being rendered as ready to fight.
Banksy’s works are often ironic or satirical and the artist uses animals such as monkeys and rats to address social issues. Animals that are conventionally thought of as pests and associated with being unwanted, such as rats, are frequently used by Banksy as symbols of the working class. In this image, the mosquito can be seen as representing the plight of soldiers who are caught in war and have to struggle between duty and morality.
The Banksy Private Sale Experts
Sell to the largest Banksy collector network in the world, at a guaranteed 0% seller's fee.
