Beautiful mountain scenery in autumn. As if gazing at it, a soldier dressed in the uniform of the SS (SS) of Nazi Germany sits on a bench.
The original painting of this work did not originally depict a soldier, but rather a guerrilla artist who would later become active as a guerrilla artist.banksiedue toadded by the artistThe artist was a member of the Banksy group. A Banksy associate purchased the original painting, which was sold at a charity store in the U.S., painted the soldier, and donated it to the charity store.
The title of the piece is "The Banality of Evil. The "banality of evil" is a concept proposed by philosopher Hannah Arendt, who observed the trial of officials involved in the genocide of Nazi Germany,one theory (opinion)to the idea that many of those who do "evil deeds" are simply "ordinary" people who follow orders from above.
What did Banksy want to say about the "banality of evil" through his work? In contrast to the "evil deeds," the soldier in the uniform of the Nazi SS, looking at the mountains in a daze, gives us a sense of "ordinariness," as if he is regretting the passing of autumn.
In many contemporary conflicts, the governments of the countries involved and the media often portray the conflict through the propaganda of a good/evil narrative in which we are good and the other side is evil. However, the "evil" in this propaganda may, in fact, be as "ordinary" as we are.
Learn more about propaganda and the press → "Propaganda Models and Japan's International Reporting"
See more of Banksy's work →.Banksy Series
(Photo:carnagenyc / Flickr [CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED])