Lascaux Cave Paintings of Hands, 17,000 BC
How do you think pre-historic humans made these cave paintings?
Why do you think they did it?
Banksy - Graffiti Removal (2008)
What do you think is Banksy's message here?
What does it say about the way we treat street art?
Alfie Bradley - Knife Angel (2018)
Why do you think the angel is made from knives?
Where are all of the knives from?
Why do you think Alfie Bradley made an angel?
Damien Hirst - Mickey (2012)
Do you recognise the character in these 12 shapes?
What do you call art that is reduced down to basic elements?
Barbara Walker - Dolls (2011)
How do you think the girl is feeling?
Why do you think she is feeling this way?
Why are we affected by these things?
Prehistoric humans likely blew ground up rock powder through bamboo shoots over their hands.
It is an early form of stencilling, much like the way graffiti artists create spray paint stencils.
These hand paintings are like a 17,000 year old wave into the future!
If you could send a message thousands of years into the future, what would it be?
'Graffiti Removal' suggests that the cultural legacy of society is slowly being erased by society.
Much like some graffiti is quickly removed regardless of its message, positive or negative.
Throughout human history the wealthy few have had the power to make history.
Like cave art, street art is a form of expression that makes the powerful scared.
The sculpture is 27 foot high and made from over 100,000 seized blades.
It was created to highlight the negative effects of violent behaviour and to encourage social change.
It also acts as a beautiful memorial designed to celebrate those lives who have been lost through these violent and thoughtless actions. The Knife Angel visited Hull in 2018 and was on display in Queen's Gardens in the city centre. This National Monument Against Violence & Aggression travels the country educating children and young adults.
Mickey is a minimalist, sort of abstract painting created by Damien Hirst for Disney.
It was auctioned at Christie's, London in aid of Kids Company, a charity Hirst has long supported, fetching £902,500. Hirst said 'The thing about Mickey is that even though he’s gone through so many changes, he’s timeless. In a way he means the same in the 21st century as he did decades ago. I watched the cartoons as a kid, and my kids watch them too. The way children are entertained today has obviously changed dramatically, but kids are still kids, and love the same things. The picture uses simple means to capture the very essence of his form solely through the power of colour. I love that the imagery is so powerful that it only takes twelve different coloured dots to create something so instantly recognisable.'
Barbara Walker MBE, is a British artist whose work is informed by the social, political and cultural realities that affect her life and the lives of those around her. The girl in this painting is surrounded by dolls that do not look like her. Sometimes the world is made in a way that makes you feel different, and sometimes your difference makes you feel insecure or not good enough or not normal enough. We all need to realise that the world can sometimes make us feel different and that our differences make us special, unique and beautiful.
