More About Banksy’s ‘Choose your Weapon’

Mixed media is an artistic style that Banksy encompasses in many of his pieces, with layering one of the big players in his ‘Choose your Weapon’ piece which was released in 2010. The realistic stencilled figure with the chain juxtaposes the very static and angular outline of what we assume to be a dog – with the deliberate bleeding of the lines creating the illusion that the dog has been added as an afterthought by a graffiti artist.

And that creates an intrinsic link to the whole message and concept behind the piece – both in terms of a statement on how the world views graffiti and of how dogs have become weaponised in modern culture.

The Story Behind Banksy’s ‘Choose your Weapon’

A lot of the messaging behind this signed print comes from the title itself – with the tagline ‘Choose your Weapon’ reading as a challenge that likens the figure in the piece to an overarching view of today’s youth. The figure, hooded and unidentifiable, represents a kind of Banksy figure in the way he is often depicted, with the simple and basic structure of the dog a representation of the detachment between dogs as pets and dogs as weapons.

Not to mention, as is always an underlying theme in the work of Banksy, the idea of deliberately graffiti-style elements in his work touches on society’s view of graffiti as a negative rather than an artistic expression.

The History of this Piece

As many Banksy buyers and sellers will already know, some of the most popular and coveted prints are derived from an original which appeared on a wall or in a deliberately selected area of society. This print was first created as a lifesize work on the side of a pub in Bermondsey, South London, in 2010. By making the original lifesize, the message was clear – that violence and the use of dogs as part of everyday gang warfare is now a pandemic and has become intensely damaging for the youth of today.

Since then, the piece was turned into a print, of which there are 100 signed copies in circulation. This is one of them, transferred onto a grey backdrop.

Sell your ‘Choose your Weapon’ print

One of the selling points of ‘Choose your Weapon’ is its mix of three-dimensional realistic stencilling, and the simple and angular structure of the dog. This use of mixed artistic styles creates a clear and obvious detachment between the two figures of the piece, showing how the dog is no longer a part of the person’s life but rather an accessory that has become used as a weapon.

If you’re looking to sell your ‘Choose your Weapon’ print, our team of professionals offer unrivalled expertise and knowledge of Banksy pieces – delivering a fair and authentic valuation every time.