Because I'm Worthless is one of the standout pieces in Banksy's Placard Rat series - a trilogy of screen prints released in 2004, each featuring the artist's iconic rat holding up a placard with the title of the work. The other two prints in this series are Get Out While You Can and Welcome to Hell.
The inspiration for the series is rooted in "Get Out While You Can", a book by George Marshall that explores how to escape the "salary slavery" and "rat race" of modern life. The rat is also a clever and daring anagram for "art" and evolved into a signature symbol - even an alter ego - for Banksy.
In Because I'm Worthless, the rat stands tall on two feet, adopting a human posture and holds a placard that boldly declares "Because I'm Worthless" in red lettering. The "humanimal" wears a peace sign necklace, adding layers of irony to its seemingly rebellious stance. The juxtaposition of the brutal and confrontational message and the peace sign creates a powerful duality - a hallmark of Banksy's work. The blood-red splatter around the writing alludes to violence and societal turmoil.
The statement 'Because I'm Worthless' is a subtle yet significant reference to L'Oreal's tagline 'Because I'm Worth It,' adding an extra and finely crafted layer of critique to the consumerist culture, a recurring theme in many of Banksy's works.