How and why does Banksy utilize children as a rhetoric in his street art to raise awareness on Environmental issues?

Environmental issues are one of the most pressing dilemmas faced by modern society, however, not everyone is ready to take a stand. Despite their widespread consequences, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, indifference and lack of action persist among individuals and governments alike, aggravating the challenges we face as a global community. However, by raising awareness of this global issue, its harmful impact can be minimized and ultimately reverted. Awareness of this issue can be raised through more general media sources, such as advertisements or news campaigns, however, more non-standard mediums can also create a powerful effect; such as street art. Banksy is a famous street graffiti artist from England who often conveys social commentary in his work. Through the composition along with his deliberate choice of children as subjects in his art, Banksy captures the profound and damaging effect of environmental issues on the younger generation.

His piece, "No Future", created in 2010 on the side of a private home in Southampton, England, depicts a child sitting on the ground while holding a balloon. In order to highlight the damaging effect of climate change on the youth, Banksy plays on the pathos of the audience by using color and body language.

The first element that catches one's eye is Banksy's use of trompe l'oeil as a frightened little girl sitting on the floor. Her facial expression and her body language convey a worrisome, lonely mood. This makes the audience sympathize with her as there should not be a child, let alone merely dressed, seated by itself on the pavement. Another striking element is the depiction of a balloon in her clenched fist. The illustration of the balloon harmonizes with the statement written above her with the words "NO FUTURE", where the "O" dominates the text in order to symbolize the balloon. The utilization of those capital letters adds emphasis to this position as it conveys a serious tone. This text directly states that there is no future for this little girl, alluding to the consequences of environmental issues on the younger generation. Furthermore, the maneuvering of a bright red font conveys appalling imagery to the audience as it can be connotated with blood. More specifically, in contrast with the text, the color employed can be also connected with the blood of the children who are harshly impacted by the effects of climate change. Banksy utilizes this irony as he juxtaposes the joyful representation of the balloon in contrast to the depressing reality of no future. Finally, the camera angle captures this graffiti at a wide angle, depicting the girl as a microscopic figure in contrast with the bold heading. Her gaze being directed away from the text conveys the idea that she is trying to avoid her destiny, even though she is condemned to live it. This makes the viewer show compassion towards her as it foreshadows her harsh reality of having to cope with the results of environmental issues. Hence, Banksy demonstrates how the present generation is made subject to the severe circumstances of climate change through the interconnection of features that revoke heavy emotions along with the portrait of a child.

His next artwork designed in 2010, "I remember when all this was trees", located in Detroit, USA, comprises a child holding a bucket of paint. This 2010 street art graffiti aims to raise awareness of the urbanization of the natural environment.

The contrast between the left and right sides of the picture immediately draws the viewer's eye. On one side of the frame is depicted the young boy painting "I remember when all this was trees" in red with the paintbrush in his hand. However, on the other side, is a setting of debris with bushes and trees attempting to grow in the background. Banksy employs this juxtaposition to show the damaging effect of construction on the land. Additionally, the red font of the text highlights this position through emphasis and signaling. Being that red symbolizes blood, this text can be more specifically connected to the blood of the animals affected by urbanization, acknowledging the loss of their habitats and lives. Hence, the street artist applies this symbolism to not only show the effect of urbanization and pollution on the youth but also on nature as a whole. A noteworthy element is that the little boy is making this statement referring to the past, despite not having lived many years. Thus, Banksy utilizes this paradox to show how rapid the increase in urbanization is. Furthermore, he purposefully employs messy handwriting as the font to highlight the youth of the child and, thus, emphasizes his helplessness in the dire situation. Another striking element is the direct eye contact the boy effectuates with the viewer while having a frowning face, playing on the viewer's pathos. The artist utilizes the young boy's facial expression as rhetoric to evoke guilt from the viewer in order to take immediate action.

The next graffiti, stenciled in 2018 on a garage wall in the town of Port Talbot, portrays a child catching snowflakes on his tongue. Through the composition of this particular street art, "Season's Greetings", Banksy depicts how air pollution greatly impacts the younger generation.

The camera angle is the most vital aspect of this picture. While walking from one side of the wall, there is a jolly illustration of a happy young boy enjoying the snow with his sled right next to him. This makes the viewer evoke a strong feeling of contentment as the child is depicted having fun. However, changing perspectives, the awful discovery of a dumpster on fire is illustrated. This leaves the audience horrified as they discover the substance he was indulging in is not snow, but ashes. Banksy utilizes this sudden feeling of terror to convey the great increase in the amount of environmental pollution that could be lurking anywhere. Furthermore, an interesting element is that the whole piece of art is mostly white and black. However, the orange fire and the child's pink tongue are the only colorful elements. Thus, Banksy incorporates this contrast of colors to highlight the source of the "snow" and its destination. Additionally, he employs the situational irony between the title of the work and the piece itself. Typically, "Season's greetings" is a wish pleasantly used on Christmas cards. However, the street art's resentment is a very dreadful greeting.

Although most of his works project the despair of global pollution, in this street art, created in 2019, Banksy shows hope for the current generation. This last piece, "From this moment", located in Marble Arch, London, illustrates a girl sitting on the cement next to a plant.

The dominating presence of the young girl in the graffiti is the first element that catches one's eye. This initially contributes to a more hopeful feeling due to her innocence. The child is depicted holding a sign in her hand with a symbol of the Extinction Rebellion logo, a UK-founded global movement that aims to raise awareness about the climate change crisis. Thus, Banksy utilizes both the child and the symbol to evoke a more optimistic mood perceived by the viewer. Furthermore, he also employs colors to highlight this hopefulness. The tiny seedling emerging from the ground is coated with a blue aura, creating a calming, reassuring effect. Additionally, the shovel next to the girl contributes to the impression of hope and action, as she has already made the first step against climate change by securing a plant in the soil. Finally, Banksy utilizes the text right next to the girl to highlight how stopping global warming is left in the hands of the current generation. The employment of the words "this moment" emphasizes how the previous generation has not taken any action until now and the new generation must take over. The words "tactic begins" further highlight this feeling of anticipation and readiness.

Through the use of rhetorical devices and children as subjects, Banksy successfully conveys the high extent to which the present generation is jeopardized by the devastating effects of environmental issues. Throughout the progression of his street art, Banksy depicts both his disappointment with how society approaches ecological problems but also demonstrates hope. Therefore, Banksy's work urges viewers to reconsider their relationship with the planet and the responsibility they hold in protecting it for future generations.

"No Future" Mural Is Short-Lived. apictureofpolitics. (2012, March 8). https://apictureofpolitics.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/no-future-mural-is-short-lived/

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Seasons greetings, December 2018. Banksy Explained. (n.d.). https://banksyexplained.com/seasons-greetings-december-2018/

What is XR. Extinction Rebellion. (n.d.). https://rebellion.global/about-us/