I chose to analyze this mural by the graffiti artist Banksy after seeing a poster of it in my friend’s room. I think it is an interesting piece of art as it captures the conflict between the common people and the police, as well as the conflict between innocence and violence. It depicts a teddy bear (innocence) throwing a Molotov cocktail (violence) at police in riot gear. The words “The Mild Mild West” are inscribed in white on the top of the black background, which is again, a contrast. The police are wearing black, in front of a background, which can suggest that the police are the evil here, while the bear is white, suggesting that he is the “good guy,” or the common people.

This mural was painted by the graffiti artist Banksy. This is a mural on the side of a building, so he intended for it to be seen by the general public. Anyone with access to the area would be able to see the artist’s message, which I described above. This is an effective way of sharing his idea with the public because it is free to everyone. He draws attention to the main focus of the piece (the teddy bear) by centralizing the light and color on that part of the image. It is, important however, for the audience to have an idea of the people’s relationship with the police, as that is the focus of this mural. Overall, this piece can be interpreted in many ways, and I would like to analyze it further.