Monkey Detonator, 2002

sebastien laboureau

April 18, 2021

Monkey Detonator, one of Banksy’s most famed and coveted images, perfectly exemplifies the Bristol-born artist’s irreverent wit in its portrayal of a cheerful monkey jumping directly onto a detonator to ignite an explosion. Caught mid-leap with hands already grasped around the plunger, ready to push down, a curious juxtaposition is presented between the dangerousness of the device and the chimp’s determination, despite the obvious risk of being fatally harmed himself. As a captivating example from Banksy’s visually striking oeuvre,

“You paint 100 chimpanzees and they still call you a guerrilla artist.”

Monkey Detonator invites viewers to both laugh at the absurdity of the composition whilst also reflect on the distinct socio-political undercurrents quintessential of the artist’s oeuvre.

In the case of Monkey Detonator, the mischievous protagonist appears mere seconds away from causing a violent explosion, bringing to mind the idea of reckless action leading to disaster.

BANKSY
Monkey Detonator, 2002
Spray-paint on canvas
91×60 cm (35 5/8 x 23 5/8 inches)
Stenciled “BANKSY” lower right

Though one may argue that the wild primate is blissfully unaware of the impending consequences of his actions, the radio on his ear reveals otherwise. Used in warfare to trigger a wireless detonation from a distance away, Banksy’s inclusion of this detail confronts viewers with the subject’s alarmingly strong sense of determination that drives this perilous course of action.

Banksy, Banging Your Head Against A Brick Wall, November 2001

The monkey is a recurring motif in Banksy’s oeuvre, used by the artist as a deliberately provocative character since the early 2000s. In a contemporary take on “Singerie”, a visual arts genre popular among French artists in the early 18th century which depicted comical scenes of monkeys aping human behavior, Banksy’s chimps too, are often presented in ironic juxtapositions that provide a tongue-in-cheek satirizing of society which so often thinks of itself as ‘above’ the animal kingdom.

Monkey Detonator, Waterloo, London, 2006

Courtesy Pest Control Office

Though not the first to blur the line between graffiti and ‘high art’, following on from prominent artists before him such as Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Shephard Fairey, all of whom started in the street-art scene, Banksy’s influence – coined the ‘Banksy effect’ – has helped pave the way for a generation of urban artists to emerge. Now placed at the centre of an artistic movement and with works of his forming part of prestigious public collections including the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Banksy’s iconoclast status as a vandal turned mythic hero has extended the genre to a new horizon as he continues to redefine to many what ‘art’ is.

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