The famous painting, Kissing Coppers, was tagged by Banksy on the side wall of the Brighton Prince Albert pub in 2004. Even with the original artwork having been stolen and sold, the meaning behind it never left. 

Although all quite similar, the interpretations of the art piece can differ according to the people that observe it. It varies depending on their generation, their world perspective and their opinions. 

The two policemen kissing could be interpreted as a celebration of the beauty of love, no matter the identity of the couple. It’s an optimistic perspective, even though some people would argue that Banksy used to support his work with a purpose to challenge social issues. 

Multiple things feed into the success of this art piece. One of them being the location of the painting which isn’t insignificant. Brighton has probably been chosen by the anonymous artist for the town’s open mind and its alliance with the LGBTQ+ community. 

Bansky is known for his anti-capitalist state of mind. He certainly used his anonymity to find the courage to softly and publicly denounce such taboos as homophobia, and toxic virility. Using two male police officers as the characters of the artwork is surely not a coincidence either. Their status represents power in society, linked to the toxicity of masculinity which attracts even more discussion. 

The public reaction from the Kissing Coppers has been controversial. While some people found the painting beautiful and meaningful, others found the message too provocative to be exposed publicly and vandalised it. Banksy certainly expected such a response though. 

The street artist’s aim is to question stereotypes through his work. The artist wants the population to speak about those important subjects and of the beauty of his art more than his name, which is why he keeps his anonymous status. He explicitly chooses to represent taboos to get people to react and therefore discuss those topics. It can be considered as his helping hand for society.