Assembled With Your Rhythm Sticks

Interesting new piece from Banksy, the British graffiti guru. The elements of the composition  show a number of narrative possibilities.The man could be in a prison, or maybe outside a prison or ghetto.Certainly, the idea of cultural compartmentalization is present and its complementary form of isolation and group identity.Or, the quality of Ikea is based on the craftsmanship of workers in prison like conditions, marginalized and fenced off from the outside world. In fact, slave labor is being used to sell to slightly more prosperous paupers.banksy100

It also shows that graffiti or pop culture has become such a big business in itself that the art work, iconography and symbols that make up this urban form of identity can now come pre-packaged and ready to consume. Like Ikea itself, thisis a pre-fabricated identity, and for many, a path of least resistance. Maybe the punk and his ethos has been assembled by the instructions, and he is the large graffiti slogan in the box. 

The slogan and arrangement are also pre-fab, standardized conforming to the norm. This Banksy piece is a statement on standardization of culture and the power of economies of scale. The customer himself is a form of logo, whose identity can be assembled and disassembled for easy moving and storage.

In August, IKEA switched its logo font from Futura to the more ubiquitous Verdana which seemed to attract a new font of clientele while creating anxiety among the logo loyalists.

“Many are wondering why a seemingly insignificant change erupted into controversy.” Vikas Mittal, a marketing professor at Rice University and co-author of the study Do Logo Redesigns Help or Hurt Your Brand? , said: “One of the things we did is change logos of different recognized brands, like Adidas and New Balance, to either make them more round or more angular. … We found customers with a high commitment to the brand became unhappy with the change and customers with a low level of commitment were more happy. The very interesting thing here is that a lot of managers think loyal customers will always buy their products. … But we find these customers see themselves as so connected to the brand that they feel threatened [by the change].” ( Michael Kesterton, Globe and Mail )

Ease of assembly, and affordable consumption can make even the most ardent anarchists passive:


”Fantastic detailing and colouring (check the shading on the hoodie and box for starters) and a witty statement juxtaposing the difficulties of assembling flat pack furniture with getting a revolution off the ground mark this out as nailed on Banksy piece. The reference to IKEA stretches further than may be immediatley apparent – in the view of the piece below you can see the twin towers of IKEA’s Croydon branch with their distinctive yellow and blue rings.”

 

In the wilds of Borneo
And the vineyards of Bordeaux
Eskimo, Arapaho
Move their body to and fro.  

Hit me with your rhythm stick.
Hit me! Hit me!
Das ist gut! C’est fantastique!
Hit me! hit me! hi


!
Hit me with your rhythm stick.
It’s nice to be a lunatic.
Hit me! Hit me! Hit me!

( Ian Dury, Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, 1979 )

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