HCE Project

“Birds on wire” by Banksy

This image properly reflects and represents the problems that have plagued our civilization for years. People in our culture will exclude, oppress, and discriminate against others, thereby driving them out of our countries. They begin to torment them simply because they are different. Using satire, this image depicts our society’s difficulties. In this image, a group of birds is tormenting and attempting to expel this other bird that is not like them. Similar to how certain people in our society discriminate against others simply because they are different. The placards are also satirical: “Please stay away from our worms.” People believe that people from other countries are stealing their jobs and resources, which is a caricature of how real people operate. They are threatened by this and attempt to evict them. These placards make fun of what some people say to those who are different or who come from other nations. The group of birds is likewise considerably larger than the tiny bird by himself. A representation of how people who face discrimination may feel. They are modest in comparison to these large organizations, in fact, they are tiny in comparison to them. With their sheer numbers, the group of birds overwhelms the smaller bird. However, this image also depicts a mob mentality. One of the birds in the back of the flock is clearly looking somewhere else, not paying attention to what everyone else is doing or what they are doing. Just like some people only participate in riots and protests because others do. Because everyone else is doing it, the larger the group, the more people will join in. People tend to join the majority in circumstances, even if they do not completely comprehend or believe what is going on. When one examines closely at the image, one can see that the wire on which the birds are standing is broken and detached, and that the background of the birds is likewise changed. This represents the sense of disconnection that some people may experience. They discriminate against others because they are different, because they are estranged. The birds’ various colors are also symbolic. It demonstrates the separation and contrast between the two groups of birds even more. The large bunch is all the same colors. Big and intimidating. They are also all the same species of bird. They’re all pigeons. But the brightly colored bird is all alone, so small and insignificant. It’s not a pigeon, believe it or not. It’s distinct. The image depicts an issue in our culture, utilizing satire, and artwork to make this point. Banksy wanted people to stroll by, take a look, and consider what it meant. Perhaps it will alter people’s thoughts and opinions. It has the potential to make people more aware of the problems that exist in our society. What makes this artwork even more important is that the town had erased and painted the artwork not knowing it was made by Banksy. Banksy wanted people to confront Racism, but instead the people confronted him. In the beginning, they called it Racist. After they realized it was made by Banksy, they apologized. They didn’t get the point Banksy was trying to make with the artwork. Discrimination has infested and infected our society. People focus too much on the differences we have with one another but fail to recognize how similar we all are. It is our differences that make us special, so we should celebrate those differences. But we should also celebrate our similarities. We are all different, but deep down we are all the same.