A Multimodal Discours Analysis of Street Art Politics of Banksy's Artworks

Abstract

This study addresses complex forms of multimodal communication, where graffiti artists display their drawings to attract an audience’s attention and achieve their desired goals. Thus, this study examines how semiotic resources reveal artists’ intentions in their drawings and how viewers understand the messages underlying their drawings.  The research focuses on linguistic and semiotic levels to reveal the underlying ideologies by adopting Kress & Van Leeuwen’s (2006) model to analyse six randomly selected images from Banksy’s works by applying three patterns: representation, interaction, and composition. The use of the phrase-image linking technique aims to disseminate messages widely. It is noted that most graffiti discourses carry messages related to various topics which may be political or social. The study also demonstrates that visual media are widely used in linguistic context, as linguistic and visual styles form an interconnected relationship in constructing meaning derived from context.