HMV Dog, 2002

As it is usually the case with Banksy, many interpretations are possible. HMV takes a cheeky shot at corporate branding and blind loyalty, remixing the iconic His Master’s Voice logo into something far more subversive. Instead of a dog listening devotedly to a gramophone, this pup is locked and loaded, aiming a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher directly at the source of the sound. The turntable still spins, but the message has changed: obedience is over, and retaliation is queued up next. In classic Banksy fashion, the piece satirizes how institutions, from governments to media conglomerates, expect blind trust from the public, rewarding compliance with exploitation. The stark black-and-white palette heightens the drama, while the joke lands with deadly precision. This is not just a dog off its leash, it is a metaphor for the modern rebel, turning propaganda into powder.