BANKSY, HAVE A NICE DAY (ANARCHIST BOOK FAIR), SIGNED SCREEN PRINT, EDITION OF 67, 2003
In one of the first ever screen prints released by Banksy, he takes on law enforcement in a bold and striking way. This landscape piece depicts almost thirty military or riot police lined up from left to right, in the middle of them a large military tank, locked and loaded. The artwork is entitled Have a Nice Day, which is an ironic sentiment given the menacing nature of the men in riot gear staring out of the canvas. Upon closer inspection it is possible to determine that each of the officers in the picture have their faces obscured with a yellow ‘acid-house’ smiley face, something most commonly associated with 1990s rave culture, but that can actually trace its roots in popular culture back to the 1960s when it was used as a feel-good symbol. Something so innocent and ‘happy’ however, was ripe for subversion and through the decades that followed, the smiley was co-opted by various movements ranging from horror films, to serial killers, the Far Right and in popular graphic novel The Watchmen, in which it is used to examine the corruption of power, The latter sentiment as well as elements of all these reinterpreted uses of the symbol are considered strongly by Banksy, and indeed many of his other images which use the yellow smiley such as Flying Copper and the Grin Reaper.
Read more about Have a Nice Day by Banksy.
ABOUT BANKSY
Banksy is undoubtedly the world’s most sought-after and talked about street artist, his work represents his political and social commentary on the world, and has appeared on city walls throughout it – from London to New York, from Jamaica to the Gaza Strip.
Banksy is not only known for his high profile murals, he has been releasing limited edition prints for many years, produced in various formats, including signed and unsigned works, as well as artist proofs and gift prints. However, only a very select number of people know exactly what the elusive street artist creates and how many he releases. Some editions, for example, are only made available to VIPs, collectors and friends of Banksy’s who are part of the much-coveted inner circle. This has only made the demand for his limited edition silkscreen prints and artists proofs in circulation, grow in popularity year on year. Learn more about street artist Banksy.
