1. Critical Final Essay of a Painting by Banksy<br /> The title of the painting is “ The children wishes a peaceful island”. The artist, Banksy was created the painting in 2005 and it is located on the Palestinian side of a barrier wall in the Gaza Strip. This painting gives me a feeling irony since this picture is something that represents the society at certain time. Moreover, It also gives me message of aspiration from the people who are Palestinians for their paradise with trees and beautiful sea. Especially, the children desired to achieve their dream and the most significant thing, which is a peace in the Middle East. <br /> In the painting, I could see the 2 needy children who are not wearing upper clothes; they are painting their dream’s paradise island on the Palestinian side of barrier wall in the Gaza Strip. However, they just painted their dream’s paradise on the wall very small. The 2 children have their paint buckets for drawing their dream, but the right one is yellow bucket and another one is grayed bucket. They are also holding paintbrushes. In this way, the artist Banksy shows the 2 children hoping a peace in The Middle East. Besides, Their face is very hazy and I couldn't see them properly but in my view they have stern expression. It doesn't have any expression but around the painting there are some cracks in the wall. The view of Cracks are also the main subject of this painting, which is relates to the 2 children. There are cracks around the painting, where the 2 children painted the paradise island. From some cracks I could think that Palestinians tried to break the wall down, because they think there is a peace over the wall in the future and they are wishing to be The Middle East that kind of Island. So that is why I thought there are cracks around the painting. This painting gives me feeling hope and despair. As I mentioned about the paradise island before, it is also one of the main subjects in this painting. The sunny day with blue sky and the beautiful vision of the paradise island gives me feeling easiness. The wall is for preventing from Suicide Attack into Israel though.<br /> At the time of painting, there is no war in The Middle East. However, the conflicts between Arabs and Israelis got much more intense than ever. It is because of Israeli government still built a barrier that separates Israel from West Bank to prevent Arab’s Suicide Attacks. Due to the barrier, some Arabs had to be separated from their family, banned to go to school, hospital, and others. In addition, the wall is making them difficult to get resources and medical services. The artist reflects those of situation as the painting by drawing the 2 children with the paradise island on the wall. The 2 children are stripped to the waist, it leaded to me to think that they are not living well in a condition and they are poor. So I thought they are Palestinian children. And also I could think that from their disheveled hair. On the other hand, the paradise island represents Israel I think, because they have more land and resources than Palestinians. Israelis are having better time than Palestinians, so the painting resembles each other with the situation in The Middle East. <br /> Mainly, Banksy has used spray and stencil to form the painting. However, the beach part he used image, which he already painted on a paper and then he glued it on there. He wanted to be anonymous his identity hidden from the world. In order to be anonymous, he used spray, stencil and the image, which he already painted to draw the painting as quick as possible. Moreover, while he was painting, Israeli soldiers were threaded him by shouting gun for air.<br /> <br /> The artist has used black and yellow buckets as hope for future (yellow) and despair for now (black). For yellow, it symbolized that people are hoping the society get better at that time in the Middle East. For black, in the actual life, they are suffering on their situation now. The meaning of yellow is Hope and the meaning of black is unfortunate. I think the artist has used those colors very well in the painting. The size of painting is about 8 or 9 meter (The height of wall is 8~9 meter); it is quite small for the wall painting. However, I think the message from the painting gone through a lot of people in the world.<br /> In this painting, the artist tried to reflect the situation at that time in The Middle East. The dissension between Arabs and Israelis were getting worse by the wall. The picture symbolizes this situation since the picture tells that Palestinian hope to live with that kind of peaceful island and suffer under the hard situation now. This painting was very successful since Palestinians and foreigners were interested into it. Moreover, the painting is good reputation from the world and they all agreed with the meaning of picture.<br />