The Philosophy Behind Banksy’s Art

Digital alienation is another concern in Banksy’s work. In Mobile Lovers (2014), a couple embraces each other while gazing at their smartphones. Though physically close, they are emotionally distant. The piece critiques the hyperconnectivity of modern life that paradoxically leads to deeper disconnection. Simone de Beauvoir once argued that true existence requires presence and active engagement with the other. Without that, love becomes hollow, and human experience loses its depth. Banksy’s image is a portrait of this existential vacuum.