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Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case GG, Shelf 86

Americans Working Overhead

Sticker
ca. 2004 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This sticker by Banksy adopts the visual language of street signs. Stickers like these are a part of the street art phenomenon, usually stuck on walls alongside stencil work and tag graffiti, in urban areas. The simplicity and cheapness of the medium makes it attractive for young artists, and stickers can be seen not only at graffiti sites, but on public transport and advertising posters.

Banksy is perhaps the best-known graffiti artist working in Britain today, and his influence extends far beyond the urban environment. His stencils, often political, and underlined with humour, adorn walls from London to Barcelona. His most memorable stunts, or interventions, include hanging one of his own paintings at Tate Britain (which went undetected for hours) and mounting a stuffed rat at London’s Natural History Museum. Although most of his work pokes fun at royalty or religion, perhaps his most interesting work has been in the anti-war vein.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleAmericans Working Overhead
Materials and techniques
Digital print sticker on Crack-Back plus paper
Brief description
Sticker by Banksy, British, ca. 2004.
Physical description
A white sticker with a black image within a red circle showing people running from a helicopter with lettering below the image reading AMERICANS WORKING OVERHEAD and in smaller type 018/BNK/5Y.
Dimensions
  • Height: 15cm
  • Width: 10.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
AMERICANS / WORKING / OVERHEAD / 018/BNK/5Y (Bottom of sticker)
Credit line
Given by Riikka Kuittinen
Subjects depicted
Summary
This sticker by Banksy adopts the visual language of street signs. Stickers like these are a part of the street art phenomenon, usually stuck on walls alongside stencil work and tag graffiti, in urban areas. The simplicity and cheapness of the medium makes it attractive for young artists, and stickers can be seen not only at graffiti sites, but on public transport and advertising posters.

Banksy is perhaps the best-known graffiti artist working in Britain today, and his influence extends far beyond the urban environment. His stencils, often political, and underlined with humour, adorn walls from London to Barcelona. His most memorable stunts, or interventions, include hanging one of his own paintings at Tate Britain (which went undetected for hours) and mounting a stuffed rat at London’s Natural History Museum. Although most of his work pokes fun at royalty or religion, perhaps his most interesting work has been in the anti-war vein.
Collection
Accession number
E.388-2005

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Record createdJuly 13, 2005
Record URL
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