We go back to the very start of Banksy’s career, to 2002. In this image, called Rude Copper, a British police officer stands in full uniform, but his hand is raised, making the classic gesture of contempt with his middle finger.

The image first appeared as a stencil on the streets of London. It survives today thanks to a limited run of screenprints produced in 2002.

Rude Copper is perhaps the simplest, most direct expression of Banksy’s critique of authority, a theme that would grow more complex in later years. There is no metaphor here, just a figure who stands for the state, for order and for control, shown making a gesture that breaks every rule.

The context behind the image also matters. The early 2000s in Britain were a period when debate over police violence and rising pressure on street artists was intensifying.

This piece is a prototype for the strategy Banksy would later become known for worldwide, turning everyday figures of authority into objects of ridicule.