In 2014, he painted a version across various international landmarks to honour Syrian refugee victims. According to Artsy, Girl with Balloon‘s rise to icon status was gradual. Since 2019, a majority of Girl with Balloon prints have sold for six-figure prices at auction, and a number of the colored artist’s proofs have sold for more than $1 million. The artist remade Girl with Balloon a number of times throughout the decades, often using the image’s simultaneous whimsy and solemnity to address contemporary social issues. In 2014, he painted a version across various international landmarks that commemorated victims of the Syrian refugee crisis.
Banksy offered to send a free print of the stencil to any registered voters in certain electorates, provided they could photographically prove that they had voted against the Tories. In 2014, Girl with Balloon was reproduced again by the artist to commemorate the Syrian civil war. The image of the art was modified to promote the hashtag #withsyria on social media and to rally support and create awareness about the three years of conflict in Syria.
Banksy is well-known worldwide for his creative and often controversial graffiti art. In 2005 Banksy painted a wall on the Palestinian side of the West Bank. On the viewer’s side, children play on a forlorn patch of earth; through an apparent hole in the wall, there is a scene of a perfect tropical beach. Balloon Girl by Banksy has been described as a symbol of “optimism” and coupled with the words, “THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE” to the right of the composition, our interpretation is further influenced by what it may mean. We become her and the balloon becomes whatever we want it to be – our hopes, our dreams, our innocence, and even what we have lost.
Critics were divided on the film, though, as some chose to accept it at face value while others saw it as a satire. The British artist Banksy painted the graffiti murals titled Girl With Red Balloon, which are painted in areas throughout London. His earliest version was painted in 2002 on the Waterloo Bridge in South Bank, London in England. While Balloon Girl appears playful and like everyday graffiti art, sources have suggested that there is more than meets the eye. The Girl With Balloon meaning points to ideas of play, innocence, imagination, freedom, or love and a source of entertainment for the girl. Although Balloon Girl by Banksy might appear straightforward and somewhat playful in its composition there is significant meaning behind it.
The little girl is painted in black and white, with little detail, making her a universal subject matter. Here, Banksy creates a metaphor than can resonate with almost anyone who is struggling or has struggled. When everything appears to be black and white, there is always a glimmer of hope pushing you through. What usually escape the eyes of many viewers are the words that accompany the piece. While the words “There is always hope” are separated from the girl, the balloon is part of the dynamics of the image.
Why do readers care about this graffiti so much so that it has become widely acclaimed? Similar to a fortuneteller reading a person’s palm, everything said about the person can somehow be related to their past, present, and future. The reader has a way of finding truth and creating meaning from what is seen. The heart draws forth imagery of the literal, love, youth and the girl is a reminder of innocence and simplicity.
They depict a young girl with her hand extended toward a red heart-shaped balloon carried away by the wind. The locations for this work include street murals in Shoreditch and the South bank in London on the Waterloo Bridge and other murals were around London, though none remain there. The Banksy Girl with a Balloon Graffiti, a British street artist, has been believed to explore ideas of dreams, innocence, and love. Additionally, it also symbolizes the idea that there is hope, with the girl reaching for the balloon, and the idea of lost hope or innocence, which is the alternative idea that the girl lost the balloon from her grip. This item is eligible for free replacement, within 10 days of delivery, in an unlikely event of damaged, defective or different/wrong item delivered to you. For device-related issues in Apple iPhones, please contact Apple Customer Service.
Sadly, neither of the Girl With Balloon originals is still there—both stencils are now lost—but the image lives on. Banksy has always been in contention with the art world, and so it is unsurprising that his most recognisable print was part of perhaps the most-talked-about stunt in art history. On the 5th of October 2018, when the gavel dropped on Girl with Balloon (sold for £1.3 million) the work sank through the bottom of its gilt frame and emerged shredded to the sound of sirens. The work itself was re-authenticated by Pest Control and titled Love is in the Bin, which was then brought as a new work by an anonymous Sotheby’s client. Girl With Balloon is Banksy’s most iconic image, depicting a young girl reaching for a heart-shaped balloon, just out of her grasp.
Throughout the decades, the artist replicated the painting several times, typically employing the image’s combined playfulness and solemnity to emphasize contemporary societal themes. In 2014, he created a version over numerous worldwide locations to honor Syrian refugee casualties. It was no longer just a striking sight; it had become an instantly identifiable emblem of social injustice and lost innocence.
A 2004 rendition of the painting that was located at an east London shop in Shoreditch, was dismantled by the Sincura Group in 2014 and sold on the 19th of September, 2015. Numerous limited edition copies of the painting were made and grew in value over time. In 2003, a series of 25 signed prints were made, followed by a batch of around 150 signed copies in 2005. Banksy featured it as part of a series of paintings on the West Bank barrier in August 2005, a variant dubbed Balloon Debate showing the girl flying over the wall while clutching a handful of balloons. The girl with a red balloon painting was voted the United Kingdom’s favorite artwork in a 2017 Samsung survey.