Description of a Banksy Artwork- Rage, the Flower Thrower

Rage, the Flower Thrower (2005)

One, if not the most important, aspect of this work is its location. Banksy is known for the clever placement of his art that often carries as much meaning behind it as the work itself. As a street artist, his aim is for the art to be seen by the masses and sometimes, like in this instance, he intends for it to be seen by a particular crowd. The work was painted in Sahour, Bethlehem- a high-conflict place for the 'Israel vs. Palestine' conflict.

The conscious choice of location is representative of the composition of the piece. The composition is open, therefore allowing the piece to almost blend in with its surroundings. The piece depicts a violent man dressed in riot gear. The bottom part of his face is covered, and his eyes show pure rage. The actual size of the mural depicts the man as much bigger than an average human, and he is cropped from the knees down. The painting is mostly just black paint, therefore there isn’t any sense of light and dark or depth. 

The man stands in a position typical for someone who is about to throw a molotov cocktail during a riot, yet his weapon is replaced with a bouquet. The flowers are the only source of color in the mural and create a juxtaposition- the colorful flowers contrast the thick, graphic lines used to portray the man. Even though the work was painted in a place that might be very used to violence and rioting, they were probably not used to this kind of approach. Instead of showing violence and crime as it is, Banksy turns it around- the rioting man throws a bouquet as a message of love instead of hate.