About this artwork

Banksy is no stranger to using notable and historic events as an inspiration for his art. I Fought The Law is a creative twist on the attempted assassination of president Ronald Reagan. John Hinckley Jr., diagnosed with schizophrenia, thought that he could gain Jodi Foster's admiration if he killed the president. After wounding the president, he did not try to flee the scene. He was arrested on the spot. Banksy used video footage of the incident. In the footage we can see Reagan's security pushing John Hinckley to the ground. In this print the man on the ground appears to be a graffiti artist being tackled by the authorities. The artist wrote "I Fought The Law And I Won"on the wall next to them. There's a paintbrush on the floor, close to his hand. The man could represent Banksy himself, who uses art as a weapon. The title is a reference to the 1977 song "I Fought The Law" by The Clash.