Prestel Publishing

A Visual Protest: The Art of BANKSY

There is no shortage of books on Banksy and his art and no vestige of dwindling interest with the anonymous street artist still being active, popping up around the world to grace our urban surroundings with performative commentary and visual protest.

I must own close to ten books on the subject with some going more in-depth than others and if I were to recommend a single one on Banksy, it would be this one as it spans his entire career and does a great job at illuminating how he works and why he does what he does. Close to eighty of his works are carefully examined and portrayed in an opulently illustrated manner, conveying the vibrancy and context of where they eventuated.

With the author Gianni Mercurio being a luminary in the realm of pop art and graffiti, the recipient is guided through the stages of Banksy’s approach and his artistic process while highlighting what must have influenced the man and how movements like e.g. situationism must have coined his commitment to the subversion of violent protest.

Embedded in essays and contextualising documentation, this is an excellent and timely appreciation of Banksy in a coffee book format and an ode to an essential artist who continues to push boundaries in a bid to challenge the status quo and expose oppression in a manner that resonates with all facets of society with the acute awareness of both the agenda of the oppressor as well as the impact on the oppressed.

A Visual Protest comes as close to being a Banksy encyclopaedia as can be.

The Unseen Archive of Idi Amin 

Idi Amin is arguably one of the most brutal despots in the history of mankind with his dictatorship rampant of human rights abuses and oppression leaving close to half a million causalities in its wake.

As the title suggests, The Unseen Archive of Idi Amin offers unprecedented access to a collection of the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, which are comprised of photographs taken by his personal staff in a bid to portray his regime in the brightest of colours. Contextualised and arranged thematically, the photos show how Amin tried to secure support via orchestrated propaganda and how he tried to change the public perception of his persona by staging arts and communal events.

Contextualised by essays of experts in the field and archival documentation, the book offers thought provoking and fascinating insights into a dark historical chapter of humanity, which culminates in a portrayal of the lessons learned and how the knowledge can be used for the betterment of Uganda at large and the circumstances of its people.