BANKSY™ VEST

“Who knew moving into gents tailoring could be this much fun? A vest that’s capable of stopping bullets up to .45 calibre. And yet it’s not machine washable.”

A poignant and provocative work, Banksy’s Vest fuses patriotism with the realities of violence sweeping a nation, rendering it an unforgettable reflection on the fractured state of British identity. Vest belongs to Banksy's Gross Domestic Product homewares line, which was first displayed in a shopfront in Croydon in South London in 2019, to comment on the impending commercialization of the Banksy brand. Addressing the stark realities of the United Kingdom’s surge in knife crime, the present work is a striking reinterpretation of the traditional John Bull gentleman’s waistcoat – an item long associated with British society, from the working class to the elite. Vest is a piece of armor incorporating a genuine, former police-issue bullet proof vest capable of stopping rounds from a gun.

A version of the ‘John Bull’ English gents waistcoat updated for modern times.

An object associated with law and order, or worn from fear and paranoia, Vest is adorned with a black, white, and blue Union Jack, however, the iconographic somber tones are disrupted by a rusty red hue suggestive of dried blood. This subtle yet powerful insinuation of threat to life evokes a sense of mourning, marking Vest as a chilling emblem of Britain’s present moment.

Famously worn by Stormzy as part of his 2019 Glastonbury set, during which he encouraged the crowd to join him in chanting “Fuck Boris,” this stab vest emblazoned with the Union Jack has become an icon of the British society which appears to be steeped not only in endless debates about Brexit, but also marked by poverty and inner city violence resulting from years of austerity.

As worn by Stormzy at Glastonbury festival (because it’s very dangerous there).

The work is obviously consistent with the artist being a vocal dissident of the state and its police force, using his talent to create striking images to convey political messages on the streets of cities around the world.

With this dark portrayal of the Union Jack, Banksy seems to turn a mirror on the empire that made its fortune off the back of colonialism while at the same time referencing the art historical tradition of the readymade. By appropriating a found object and making it his own, he takes up the mantle of Marcel Duchamp and adds a lacerating political message.