The image Soldiers Painting Peace, by Banksy in 2006, was originally a graffiti piece on a wall on the side of the London House of Parliament. Banksy is an anonymous graffiti artist who travels the world spreading his views on social injustices through the form of art. By looking at color and the material of the piece, we see a red peace sign, soldiers depicted in grayscale, all shown in the form of graffiti on a wall, which portrays violence, emphasis of the peace symbol, and an act of civil disobedience to promote change.  

One of the most important and informative aspects of an image are the colors that are prevalent. In Soldiers Painting Peace, the colors shown are red, which is shown in the peace sign, and the rest of the image is in black and white. The red peace sign is quite ironic, due to red being a color of aggression, blood, violence, and hate. Generally, the peace sign is straightforwardly a symbol of peace and love. In addition to the irony of the color, the juxtaposition between soldiers, symbols of war, and the peace sign brings forth more irony. Because the dripping peace sign is the only part of the artwork that is shown in color, emphasis is brought to the symbol. This is an important aspect of the piece, as the red color of the dripping peace sign may symbolize the blood of fallen soldiers spilt on the battlefields. 

As previously mentioned, the soldiers are depicted in black and white. This reinforces the presence of the peace sign, but at the same time shows the role that the soldiers play in achieving peace. War is often thought of as violent and deadly; however, the objective of war is to obtain peace. The grayscale contrast with the red of the peace sign symbolizes the uncertainty of war as it is unknown if the conflict will be resolved and peace maintained. The black guns in the hands of the soldiers are symbolic of death and power, but as they are painting a peace sign, the soldiers are looking out in fear. This fear comes from the soldiers straying from the social norm that they must fight and kill, compromising their personal belief systems. This image humanizes the soldiers, showing that they have their own opinions and beliefs regarding war and the cause they are fighting for. This shows that they are not the killing machines that society often portrays them as. 

Also shown in this piece, is a solider holding a paintbrush, as well as a gun. This imagery can be compared to the saying ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’. Just like the pen and the sword, there is juxtaposition between the paintbrush and the gun. A pen and paintbrush are items used in forms of art, while a sword and a gun are tools of war. Both the pen and the paintbrush and the sword and the gun have been used to create peace, by means of one way or another. In the image, the paintbrush is being used to create the centerpiece of the artwork, the bright red peace sign. This peace sign is the main focus of the piece, and is the reasoning behind both war and Banksy’s social movement. The soldier, a product of violence, is using a nonviolent tool in order to achieve the same outcome as the gun. 

The material of which the graffiti artwork is presented on is a concrete wall of the London House of Parliament. This vandalism of a government building is an attack on the building, as well as the British government itself. The government is where warfare begins, as it is in charge of declaring war, recruiting soldiers, and then deploying the troops. Graffiti is generally known as being disrespectful, as it is a common form of vandalism. The vandalism in this image is meant to get the attention of the parliament and send a message of hatred regarding the English troops in Afghanistan, a controversial war. The graffiti piece is in response to the death toll increasing from five between 2001 and 2005, to 39 in 2006 (News, BBC). The soldiers dying are fighting in a war that they do not believe in. 

Banksy’s piece created in 2006, Soldiers Painting Peace, is depicted as graffiti on the side of an important British parliament building. By analyzing the piece and evaluating the artwork’s key elements, a viewer can gain insight into the mind of Banksy and discover the significant meaning and symbolism apparent in the graffiti. Colors are a very important feature of artwork, as they have significant meaning to the piece. Colors present in art are used as a form of symbolism, each having a different meaning, from the strong, violent energy that comes from red, to the dark, powerful vibes given off from black. These colors are important to this piece, and help the viewer to determine the deeper meaning within the work. Material of an artwork is also important, especially in graffiti. The location of graffiti says a lot about what the artwork means and what the artist’s goals are. As discussed, Soldiers Painting Peace is shown on the concrete walls on the outside of the London House of Parliament. Its location helps to emphasize the message within the work. All of these aspects of the work discussed help to bring together the piece as a whole and assist the viewers in realizing the deeper meaning within the piece. 
