Menace to Society | BNS | Street Art

'Menace to Society' is an original artwork by Mariano, a Buenos Aires-born, Brooklyn-based street artist known by his tag BNS.

Frida Kalho’s neck tattoo gives name of the piece, “Menace to Society”, which, according to BNS, is the artist’s role in society: to question the established norms and rules (just like Frida often did, dressing up as a man, for instance). The tattoo over her left eyebrow reads “Coyoacan” in reference to Frida’s hometown. Under that same eye there is a number 10 tattoo. In BNS’s culture number 10 is often used as an allusion to “Diego” (Diego Maradona); in this case number 10 stands for Diego Rivera.

Overall, the piece has a number of references to Mexican culture: Frida’s chest bears an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a very traditional figure for the Mexican people, a praying skeleton silkscreen refers to the Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos), there are also vintage certified Mexican banknotes in the background. Other paper money seen in the background of the piece are authentic Russian Banknotes, which together with pieces of handcrafted paper from the USSR, are a hint to the link that Frida and Diego had with the communist ideology. The silkscreen figure of a wounded person is an image that BNS borrowed from an ancient 1800 wood carving and it references all the physical pain Frida suffered in her life.

BNS draws inspiration from the energy of the city context in which he has always lived, be it Buenos Aires, New York or more recently Barcelona. Through his murals in urban spaces he is continuously leaving a vibrant imprint in the public space, letting his work flow on, as well as off, the streets.