• BANKSY    Editions

  • Banksy’s 2003 Turf War Churchill with mohawk, clashing tradition and rebellion in art.
    Banksy, Turf War, 2003.
    Screen-print in colours on wove paper, 50 × 35 cm. Edition of 750 (150 signed).
    © Banksy.

    Turf War, 2003

    Turf War, 2003 depicts Winston Churchill sporting a strip of turf as a mohawk. Using a famous portrait of Churchill as the reference, this print is a play on Churchill's influence on colonialism and his role in the British empire. 
     
    Although seen as a wartime hero by many, history doesn't often remember his notorious relationship with imperialism and his racial views. He reportedly believed that the British government was more capable of running Africa and South Asian countries than they were. Banksy draws attention to this historical background and asks the viewer to question the way we percieve authority figures, both contemporary and through history.

  • "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, but people in glass cities shouldn't shoot missiles"

     

    - Banksy

    Combining the imagery of Churchill, who was a well-known conservative, with punk iconography furthers Banksy's practice of contrast and juxtaposition for social commentary. This design holds the same name as Banksy's 2003 solo exhibiton in London and was displayed hung from the ceiling during the run. The original prints were sold for only £34.99 for an unsigned version and this image has since been appropriated on various merchandise, as has happened to a large number of Banksy's works.