Banksy is from Bristol, UK. He is a street artist who leaves graffiti all over the world in a guerilla style. Many people will recognize his work when they see it, but Banksy's "Choose Your Weapon" is a homage to Keith Haring. Keith Haring is known as one of America's leading graffiti artists in the 1980s, and is also famous for dying at the young age of 31. "Choose Your Weapon" uses the motif of Keith Haring's work, the "barking dog". The work first appeared in 2010. It is located on the wall of a pub called "The Grange" in London. What does Choose Your Weapon mean? In 2010, when this work was released, youth violence and crime were a big problem in the UK. The man wearing the hood looks violent, just like a typical British gangster. And like the mob in "Love is in the Air", he is hiding his face with a bandana. Furthermore, the man is carrying a "barking dog", which is a symbol of Keith Haring. The title of the work, "Choose Your Weapon," means "Choose your weapon" in Japanese. There is a saying that "words are stronger than violence," but with this work, Banksy may have wanted to convey the message that "you can express your opinion without using violence, using another language called art." Accessories: String
