art in english

26 janvier 2018

Napalm by Banksy

Par THEVENON Laurence (Lycée Louis de Broglie Marly le Roi (78)) le 26 janvier 2018, 13:41

In 1994, Bansky, a famous street artist made a work of art name « Napalm » . In this work, we can see a little girl, totally naked, walking with Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald, 2 icon of the USA. Those icons are the reflexion of the economic success in the Usa. Banksy oppose a poor little girl with the 2 biggest success of the american economy maybe to show how american people see the vietnamese and the vice-versa? This image is based on a photograph by Nick Ut, taken in Vietnam in 1972. The little girl is fleeing away from her burning village. At first seen, Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald looks like if they were trying to kidpanned the vietnamese girl, who is screaming and crying. But once we learn about the historical contexte of the Vietnam War, it’s clearer. Many people are thinking that this work of art is just a stencil and a canspray but they forget to search the aim of the artist, the message hidden behind the piece of art. This work of art is a commentary about the USA treatment of people during the Vietnam War. All we know is that, through this work, Banksy wanted to convey an « anti-war » message.

23 janvier 2018

What Banksy thinks about street art... (3)

Par THEVENON Laurence (Lycée Louis de Broglie Marly le Roi (78)) le 23 janvier 2018, 00:10

In this text Banksy speaks his mind about (or expresses his opinion on) street art and how it is considered today. He also talks about the importance of money and profit in the materialistic society we live in. He reproaches the advertising executives working for big companies with brainwashing every one of us and making us buy their products even if we don’t really need them.

On the contrary street art means free artworks that everyone can see without this money barrier. Banksy uses humor to make the reader smile but he also uses the lexical field of war to emphasize his words and his desire to fight against money minded companies.

To finish the artist uses a comparison between policemen and street artists to show their opposite ideals. According to him, policemen want a better world whereas street artists want a better-looking world.

What is art?

Par THEVENON Laurence (Lycée Louis de Broglie Marly le Roi (78)) le 23 janvier 2018, 00:05

A video we studied in class.

What Banksy thinks about street art... (2)

Par THEVENON Laurence (Lycée Louis de Broglie Marly le Roi (78)) le 23 janvier 2018, 00:00

Firstly Banksy shows us the real and genuine freedom street art represents through the words “there is no elitism or hype.” This is justified by the fact everyone has access to the streets and all the works of art we might see there. Nobody can be short of money to admire those artworks; nobody is put off by the admission price because there is none. However I don’t agree with the word “hype” because a lot of people consider street art is a trendy form of art only because it’s quite new. It’s true but a distinction between style and contents has to be made to clearly see the fair value and power of street art.

In the second part we learn that street art has interested more and more people since the beginning of the 21^st century. In today’s society tons of people are money minded and they are more interested in the monetary value of art than in its message or the emotions it conveys. A minority of people who has power wants to put the works of art in museums: This action symbolizes putting an end to the freedom of street artists; it even means the death of street art itself. The reason that legitimizes this behavior is the fact works of art are always exhibited outside, they are jeopardized by weather conditions or degradation or vandalism. I mean the works of art can be damaged or vandalized, I don’t mean that street art equates vandalism as some people do.

Last but not least, we can say a real war has begun between street artists and advertising executives, the men who decide what ads will be placarded on most of our walls in every city. So there is a fierce competition between street artists and admen. The artist reproaches those people with their using billboards to brainwash citizens. As Banksy writes, they want to “make us feel inadequate unless we buy their stuff”. For him they aim at making us addicted to their products, they want us to fit in, to be “mainstream” obedient citizens.

They’re using our walls for a pointless aim and what’s even worse an immoral aim whereas street artists want to use the walls of our towns to denounce evils, to deliver a message, to convey emotions or to brighten people’s horizons through their works of art. They want to make our world a better-looking place.

22 janvier 2018

What Banksy thinks about street art... (1)

Par THEVENON Laurence (Lycée Louis de Broglie Marly le Roi (78)) le 22 janvier 2018, 23:57

Almost 10 years ago the very famous street artist Banksy talked about his work.

First street art is a form of art, it’s a form of rebellion and it’s often a form of political protest. Street art is everywhere, changing the face of our cities when no one is looking.

In this text Banksy speaks rather ironically about his nightly expeditions to do his artworks. Indeed we can see that in the first paragraph when he writes: “You might have to creep about at night and lie to your mum.” Whereas, according to him, it is the most honest form of art because there is a message to be understood. Street artists want to make our environments less bleak and gloomy and the urban environments more lively using spray cans, stencils, stickers or markers.

Then Banksy says that a wall has always been the best place to exhibit art. Some cities today are well known for their colorful, popular and ephemeral murals.

There are different types of reactions when people are in front of graffiti: Some people can defend these artworks because they convey a message, about poverty for instance while others can be opposed because they are not open minded.

In fact we live in a materialistic society and people are money minded. When a company sees a piece of art on a wall, businessmen may reproach street artists not with conveying a message but with brainwashing the public.

To finish street art has now entered global popular culture with more and more magazines and art galleries devoted to it.

My favorite quotation about art.....

Par THEVENON Laurence (Lycée Louis de Broglie Marly le Roi (78)) le 22 janvier 2018, 20:09

Those are the quotations chosen by the students from Première L.

They tell you why they have appreciated and chosen those quotations about art by famous or less famous people....