Life is not a walk in the park.  Some find themselves unhappy, trapped in a boring cycle, complaining about this and that.  However, people seem to complain about one "issue" more than the others: Mondays.  In 2010, the illusive street artist Banksy put our complaints into perspective with the piece I Hate Monday's.  The African children depicted are gripping metal buckets in which they collect dirty water, or other essentials, every day.  This is how they survive; working from the minute they wake up until the minute they go to sleep to maintain a far less abundant life style than the one many have simply been given without question.  The combination of the setting, focal point, and overall design in this picture is intended to create a hopeless feeling within the viewer in order for them to realize how good they have got it.     

The dull setting of this piece swallows the four boys pictured, evoking an empty feeling within the viewer.  The upper part of the piece is the sky, colored beige and splotched with almost indistinguishable off white clouds.  The gloomy sky establishes general discontent, reflecting the feelings of the subjects in the piece.  The lower part of the piece is grey, barren ground; a vast array of nothing.  The emptiness of the never-ending stretch of land creates a sense of hopelessness.  The similar feelings that arise from studying the sky and ground, force the viewer to reflect upon their own life.  The children in the piece have focus on day-to-day survival, meaning endless work to find the essentials, like food or clean water.  The viewer, however, can probably go to the nearest food store and buy something to eat when hungry, and then go about the rest of their day without a second thought about the food they just obtained.  When comparing the two, the boys seemingly have nothing in life.      

The dreary colors of the setting seem to carry through most of the picture in a few of the boys' faces and their clothing.  The center boy however, is different thus exposing the focal point of this piece.  His skin color isn't off grey like the setting and other children's faces, instead he has brown skin, and while the other boys are wearing nothing or a white t-shirt, the center boys has colorful shirt with holes.  He is the focal point also because of his position in the piece relative to the other boys (front and center) making him the first thing you notice at a glance.  His brightly printed shirt also establishes him as the focal point of the piece, drawing the viewer's attention.  His shirt, most likely donated from a wealthier country, with "I HATE MONDAYS!" (Banksy) on it in orange highlights Banksy's theme.  More specifically, the brightly colored print ironically positioned among the bleak scenery represents the contrast in western ideals and the reality of the nations depicted.  Though the message on his shirt is taunting in it of itself, the boy's facial expression and gaze is what triggers guilt.  Banksy highlights the importance of his stare by shading the other children's faces, allowing the viewers to focus on the center boy and his anger.  Furthermore, the boy's stare is angled slightly down at the viewer in an almost demeaning manner, making them feel guilty for having these seemingly petty first world issues.

No matter where one lives on this planet, life will be riddled with imperfections.  Banksy's I Hate Monday's challenges western ideal's and struggles with a general overall theme: It can be worse, don't take what you have for granted.  Where one lives will affect the type of daily struggles they are exposed to, and while it is hard to see beyond one's own struggles, it is important to remember there is someone out there who isn't as fortunate.   The dull setting, colorful center boy, and overall design of this piece engraves that notion into the viewers mind, and for that humbling moment, we thank you Banksy.

 
