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Lot Essay
Banksy’s works are renowned for their juxtaposition of humour and political comment, as exemplified in the present work. Napalm (Can’t beat the feeling) contrasts the shocking Pulitzer prize-winning image of Kim Phúc, who became known as the napalm girl, alongside two icons of American consumer culture, Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald.
The phrase ‘Can’t beat the feeling’ is a reference to the Coca-Cola slogan of the late 1980s, but in the present context creates a sickening juxtaposition with the image of Kim fleeing naked down a street, screaming in pain from the napalm burns down her back and arms.
Napalm comments not just on the horrors of the Vietnam war but of the then recent US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The comparison of one of the most infamous and provocative images of war with these symbolic figures of American pop culture highlights the often hidden commodification of war. Behind the seemingly innocent figures of these brand mascots, Banksy’s print seems to suggest a much grimmer reality, that of huge corporations in the reckless pursuit of profit, often at the expense of the most vulnerable.
This special digital print edition of Napalm (Can’t beat the feeling) in black with a red ‘blood splatter’ was issued in a signed edition of fifty following the screenprinted version in black, grey and yellow.
The phrase ‘Can’t beat the feeling’ is a reference to the Coca-Cola slogan of the late 1980s, but in the present context creates a sickening juxtaposition with the image of Kim fleeing naked down a street, screaming in pain from the napalm burns down her back and arms.
Napalm comments not just on the horrors of the Vietnam war but of the then recent US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The comparison of one of the most infamous and provocative images of war with these symbolic figures of American pop culture highlights the often hidden commodification of war. Behind the seemingly innocent figures of these brand mascots, Banksy’s print seems to suggest a much grimmer reality, that of huge corporations in the reckless pursuit of profit, often at the expense of the most vulnerable.
This special digital print edition of Napalm (Can’t beat the feeling) in black with a red ‘blood splatter’ was issued in a signed edition of fifty following the screenprinted version in black, grey and yellow.