Appropriation in Street Art

Cultural appropriation is defined as purposefully reusing works of other artists to create a new cultural product that is open to public interpretation. Banksy is appropriating Huynh Cong Ut's 'Children fleeing a Napalm strike' photograph that was taken during the Vietnam War. His artwork is also composed by two of the most recognizable commercial figures in the American culture, Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald. Both American symbols represent the consumerist and capitalist society in the United States. This short explores how street artists such as Banksy undergo the process of appropriating images that belong to specific cultural and historical contexts.