BALLOON GIRL

BECOMING AN ICON

Throughout the history of art, certain works - Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, Warhol’s Marilyn, Indiana’s Love motif for example - have caught the public imagination and crossed the line from famous to iconic. In today’s hi-tech world, with its constant stream of artistic and commercial images, it is harder than ever to stand out from the crowd, but Banksy’s ‘Girl with Balloon’ has done exactly that. The classic graffiti stencil was first seen in London in 2002 and although the original stencil is lost, the image lives on, representing the power of hope and love, seen through the eyes of a child. The Girl with Balloon mythic status was enhanced when a painting of her was famously shredded, seconds after it was sold at Sotheby’s in a show-stopping piece of performance art; she has become an important part of 21st century art history and her image has sold for millions in different manifestations.