Flying Copper, 2003

Flying Copper is a provocative work by Banksy that depicts a heavily armed British police officer fitted with small angel wings. Instead of a human face, the officer wears a bright yellow smiley—an image that recalls 1990s acid house culture while also evoking a simple, childlike graphic symbol.

The contrast is immediate and jarring. The cheerful smiley face clashes with the officer’s body armor, riot gear, and assault rifle, creating a powerful visual tension between friendliness and force. Through this juxtaposition, Banksy critiques the reassuring public image often projected by institutions of authority, suggesting that control and coercion may lie beneath a seemingly benign exterior.

Flying Copper explores the uneasy duality between protector and threat, prompting viewers to question and scrutinize those who wield significant power. The image first appeared in 2003 as a large cut-out painting on cardboard suspended from the ceiling at Turf War, Banksy’s first major exhibition in East London. A series of Flying Copper figures was later installed along London’s Shoreditch Bridge, further cementing the work’s status as one of his most recognizable early pieces.