Jamie Hauke

English 101

Philips

21 March 2016

The Dove of Peace

The world in which we live seems to be in a constant state of turmoil and unrest. It almost feels as if every day there is a new war breaking out between different nations, or another terrorist attack by some group of religious extremists. Most people do not know how to speak out against all of these unwanted acts of war. Society has come to recognize it as just a normal part of life. But it is not alright for all of the fighting to continue as long as it has. Society needs to recognize that war is not the answer to everything, and even when peace is made, it is fragile and needs to be taken seriously. An anonymous street artist by the name of Banksy has set out to do just that. He uses his street art to show what is politically, economically, and socially wrong with the world that we live in. For example, his painting of the "Dove of Peace", located on a wall in the Palestinian-controlled West Bank area in the Middle East. This area is known for a history terrorism, war, and political and religious unrest. Banksy uses symbolism, location, and detail to demonstrate the instability of peace in the world.

Symbolism allows one to convey a larger meaning using only a few words, or no words at all. Banksy uses symbolism in all of his pieces, and it is especially relevant in his "Dove of Peace." The actual painting shows a white dove with its wings outstretched, carrying an olive branch in its mouth, wearing a bulletproof vest, and crosshairs aimed at its chest. The dove carrying an olive branch is historically known as a symbol of peace that originates from the Bible and the story of Noah's ark. Since the area where the piece was put up has been a focal point for many different religions, it makes sense that Banksy would use an image that comes from the Bible to send a message to the people of that area. The Bible's concept was, "A hope for peace which is represented by Banksy's 'Dove of Peace', a precious gift from God" (Vo). And the white coloring of the dove is significant because white usually symbolizes innocence and purity. This is saying that peace itself is something pure and good. The presence of the dove should therefore signify a state of peace. But, the dove is wearing a bulletproof vest, and being targeted by an unknown entity. This completely contradicts the presence of the dove. The bulletproof vest symbolizes that, while there is peace as shown by the presence of the dove, it is fragile and the tables could turn at any moment; hence the need for the dove to wear the bulletproof vest. Even though there is peace, it could be broken at any moment; so protection is necessary. The peace it represents is being threatened and it needs to try and protect the fragile state of peace it holds. 

Another important factor in determining Banksy's message in his Dove painting, is the location of the painting itself. Banksy put this painting up on a wall in Bethlehem, which is currently controlled by the Palestinians. Multiple countries have fought to control Bethlehem in the past. It used to belong to Jordan; then it was Israel; and finally Israel gave control of Bethlehem over to the Palestinians to maintain peace between the two nations. The reason this one village is so sought after is because it is the believed birthplace of Jesus Christ. Back in 1987 when Bethlehem was still controlled by Israel, there was a peaceful Palestinian uprising against the Israelis, known as the First Intifada, and many people were killed. The First Intifada was, "a grassroots uprising against Israel's occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem"(AMP). The First Intifada lasted from 1987 until the Madrid Conference in 1991; which was held by Spain in an attempt to restore peace between Israel and Palestine. The particular wall where Banksy painted his Dove marks the spot where forty people were killed during that Palestinian uprising. There are still visible holes in the wall from all of the bullets fired. Israel claims it wants peace, but they're willing to use war to try to achieve it. The two concepts contradict each other. Banksy wants people to understand that peace cannot be achieved through war and violence. The reason the peace maintained between these nations is so fragile is because of all of the war that has taken place between them. Constantly being at war with one another creates a hostile and volatile relationship between two entities. With all of those negative feelings, one will never find true peace. The importance of location is central in this painting. If Banksy had painted the "Dove of Peace" on a random wall in any other country, it would not carry nearly as much meaning as it does in this area of constant unrest.

Finally, Banksy uses detail in his artwork to really drive home the message he wants people to take away from it. With his painting of the Dove, for example, he made the dove white. White is commonly known as a symbol of innocence and purity. And the bulletproof vest the dove is wearing is a literal representation of protection. This gives the impression that peace is innocent and pure, and it needs to be protected, because it is being threatened; and it is ironic that the peace needs to be protected. The depiction of the crosshairs also says a lot. The crosshairs themselves represent a threat to peace. What is more interesting, is the fact that the crosshairs are colored red. Red is known to be a symbol of warning, bloodshed, and even war. Of all the colors Banksy could have used, he chose to use red so there would be no question as to what is a threat to peace. It could also be deduced that the bullet holes on the wall where the piece was put up represent a war zone, and Israel's hypocrisy for peace. They say they want peace, but act out in violence against peaceful protesters. Another important detail is the addition of the olive branch in the dove's mouth. The green color could be seen as representing life, growth, and change. But when put in context with the whole piece, it shows that people's lives, and even our way of life is being threatened by war. It could also be said that the colors Banksy chose to use for his piece represent Palestine as a whole. A local artist stated, " ... remember a time when Palestinian were banned from painting in red, green, or white -- the colors of our flag"(McCarthy). Therefore, Banksy could have deliberately used these colors to represent the Palestinians and the need for peace in their area.

Banksy uses symbolism, location, and deatil with the "Dove of Peace" to send a message about the instability of peace between the nations of the world. He uses symbolism to convey a larger meaning without having to use any actual words; such as the contradiction of a dove wearing a bulletproof vest. He also uses detail to give context as to his message in his artwork. Important details he uses can be seen in his color choices for the different objects in the painting. Finally, he uses the location of his paintings to scrutinize specific acts that have taken place that threaten human lives. This can be seen with the Dove, which was painted on a wall in West Bank where forty peaceful protesters were killed. Peace is important, and it is necessary for the world to continue to prosper and grow. The world as a whole faces enough problems as it is; we do not need to be fighting each other on top of everything else. Banksy wants to bring attention to this fragile state that, not just the Middle East, but the whole world is in. Every nation says they want peace, yet they keep building up their militaries larger than ever before. In this day and age, peace is so delicate, it needs to be protected. More importantly, peace is so important, it should be the primary focus for all nations and political powers. 

Works Cited

AMP. "The Intifadas." The First Intifada - Introduction. American Muslims for Palestine, 2011. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

Banksy. Dove of Peace. 2007. Bethlehem.

McCarthy, Rory. "Banksy in Bethlehem: A Sudden, Provocative Comeback."The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 03 Dec. 2007. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

Vo, Alina. " ." Peace Not War. Digication Inc., 2016. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.
