A guide to collecting Banksy
Specialist James Baskerville discusses the life and art of the world’s most famous street artist. Illustrated with upcoming lots offered at Christie’s in a dedicated auction and for private sale
In July 2019, anonymous graffiti artist Banksy (b. 1974) was voted Britain’s favourite artist, beating Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet to the title.
Although his identity remains a mystery, Banksy’s provocative stencils are among the most iconic and controversial images in Street Art. He first ‘sprayed’ — or ‘bombed’ — the walls of Bristol in the southwest of England in the early 1990s, but his fame soared after he moved to London in the early 2000s. He has since left his mark on cities around the world, from Barcelona to San Francisco.
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Banksy (b. 1974), Pulp Fiction, 2004. Screenprint in colours. Sheet 487 x 695 mm. Estimate: £20,000-30,000. Offered in Banksy: I can’t believe you morons actually buy this sh*t, 10-23 September 2020, Online
He has an Academy Award-nominated documentary (2010’s Exit through the Gift Shop), a pop-up ‘bemusement park’ (Dismaland, created in 2015), a dystopian hotel (The Walled-Off Hotel in Bethlehem), and an auction record of £9.9 million to his name. His collectors include celebrity actors, musicians and artists, and now the British Museum, which in February 2019 added a fake banknote depicting Diana, Princess of Wales, to its collection of coins, medals and currency.
So, how did Banksy’s art go from the street to saleroom? Here, Prints & Multiples specialist James Baskerville explores Banksy’s commercial career and most popular works at auction.
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Banksy (b. 1974), Morons (Sepia), 2007. Screenprint in colours. Sheet 563 x 758 mm. Estimate: £20,000-30,000. Offered in Banksy: I can’t believe you morons actually buy this sh*t, 10-23 September 2020, Online
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Banksy versus the Art Market
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The irony that The Establishment has embraced his anti-capitalist and anti-authoritarian art is not lost on Banksy. His screenprint Morons lampoons the auction world: the image parodies a photograph (below) of Christie’s record-breaking sale of Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers in 1987.
Van Gogh’s Still Life: Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers goes to auction at Christie’s on 30 March 1987. The painting sold for £22,500,000, the record price for any artwork at the time of the sale
In place of the flowers, Banksy writes, ‘I can’t believe you morons actually buy this shit.’ An edition of this print sold for £32,500 in an online sale in September 2019.
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Banksy has been selling his art since the 1990s
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Alongside his street art, Banksy has been creating works for sale for more than 20 years. The earliest pieces at auction date from 1998, while his earliest commercial prints are from 2002.
‘In the beginning, Banksy didn’t create prints to make money and they were sold for such low prices,’ explains Prints & Multiples specialist James Baskerville. ‘People were buying the art on their credit cards as if it was a poster, with no awareness of its future value.’
The unique painting Avon and Somerset Constabulary (Red and White) (above) was purchased from Banksy’s exhibition at Bristol’s Severnshed restaurant in 2000. Works in the show cost less than £1,000. This one came with a certificate of authenticity written out ad hoc on a police report card.
On closer inspection it’s possible to see a different Banksy stencil underneath the policemen: a dog pointing a bazooka at a gramophone.
Banksy (b. 1974), Avon and Somerset Constabulary (Red and White), 2000. Spraypaint and emulsion on canvas. 33½ x 27⅛ in (85 x 69 cm). Price on request. Offered for private sale through Christie’s
Banksy continued to sell his work in later, now-famous solo exhibitions, including Barely Legal in Los Angeles in 2006, and Banksy versus Bristol Museum in 2009.
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His most iconic images fetch the highest prices
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Banksy’s most sought-after editions, canvases and sculptures are often directly inspired by his graffiti art.
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Banksy (b. 1974), Sale Ends (LA Edition), 2006. Screenprint in colours. Sheet 570 x 765 mm. Estimate: £12,000-18,000. Offered in Banksy: I can’t believe you morons actually buy this sh*t, 10-23 September 2020, Online
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Banksy (b. 1974), Girl with Balloon - Colour AP (Purple), 2004. Screenprint in colours. Sheet 694 x 495 mm. Estimate: £250,000-350,000. Offered in Banksy: I can’t believe you morons actually buy this sh*t, 10-23 September 2020, Online
Girl with Balloon depicts a girl extending her hand towards a heart-shaped balloon, and was originally a series of stencil murals first sprayed in London in 2002.
‘Editions of this iconic artwork are the most desirable Banksy pieces at auction,’ says Baskerville. The image of the girl with the balloon is synonymous with Banksy and there are variations in red, purple, blue, pink and gold. In September 2019, an artist’s proof with a gold balloon sold for £395,250, more than double its low estimate.
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Banksy (b. 1974), NOLA (White), 2008. Screenprint in colours. Sheet 755 x 546 mm. Estimate: £45,000-55,000. Offered in Banksy: I can’t believe you morons actually buy this sh*t, 10-23 September 2020, Online
NOLA, also known as Umbrella Girl, first appeared in New Orleans in 2008. It was created in response to the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Gustav in 2008. Editions with white rain and grey rain were subsequently made for general release in a total edition of 352.
Banksy also made a small number of artist’s proofs and ‘gifts’ with orange, yellow or multicoloured rain. The sale of NOLA (Pink and Yellow Rain) for £90,000 at Christie’s London in 2017 set a record for the artwork at auction.
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Banksy (b. 1974), Love Rat, 2004. Screenprint in colours. Sheet 491 x 343 mm. Estimate: £12,000-18,000. Offered in Banksy: I can’t believe you morons actually buy this sh*t, 10-23 September 2020, Online
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Rats and chimps
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According to Baskerville, Banksy’s works featuring rats and chimps are among the most recognisable and sought-after. ‘There are many variations of the Placard Rats, with different slogans,’ says the specialist. ‘A picture of a chimpanzee bearing the words “Laugh now, but one day we’ll be in charge”, is also among the most celebrated.’
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Original Banksy graffiti art can command high prices
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By the late 2000s, the art world had caught up with Banksy’s popular appeal, and many of his works had been removed from their original public settings and sold.
Kissing Coppers (2004) for example, originally on the wall of a Brighton pub, sold for $575,000 in Miami in 2014. More recently, Seasons Greetings (2018), which appeared on a nondescript garage owned by Ian Lewis in Port Talbot in Wales, sold for a six-figure sum.
While Banksy has always wanted his street art pieces to remain in their original contexts, his graffiti art belongs to the owners of the building on which they are sprayed. The owners are thus able to expunge the work as vandalism, leave it as public art, or sell it at will.
Since the 1990s, Banksy has ‘bombed’ cities across the UK, including London, Brighton and Bristol, as well as urban hotspots across America, Australia and Canada. He strikes with no prior warning, so the next ‘sprayed’ city or dwelling could be yours.
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His prints come in both unsigned and signed editions — and a Pest Control certificate is essential
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Banksy’s unsigned prints are created in higher edition numbers. As a result, they are more affordable than their signed counterparts. Unsigned and signed artworks are equally legitimate — a certificate from Pest Control, Banksy’s ‘handling service’, is the proof of authenticity that you need.
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Banksy (b. 1975), Vandalised Oil (Fetish Lady), 2006. Oil on found canvas. 37¼ x 31⅛ in (94.7 x 79 cm). Sold for £265,250 on 15 February 2012 at Christie’s in London. Artwork: Courtesy of Pest Control Office
Banksy set up Pest Control in 2008 to authenticate his artworks and prevent fakes from circulating on the market. All Banksy artworks created after 2009 are sold with a Pest Control certificate. The service can retroactively issue certificates for works created before 2008. Pest Control is now the only channel through which you can buy new primary market works by the artist.
Baskerville warns that there are a lot of fake Pest Control certificates in circulation, but these are immediately obvious to an expert. ‘If you’re unsure about your certificate, show it to a specialist who can advise you,’ he says. ‘Or, contact Pest Control directly.’
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Banksy is currently only trading on the secondary market
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‘It’s not possible to buy a Banksy on the primary market these days,’ says Baskerville. ‘A decade ago, the artist was selling directly through certified dealers, at exhibitions, or through his former printers, Pictures on Walls. But today he only sells through Pest Control, and nothing is currently available.’
When buying a Banksy on the secondary market, our specialist advises to buy from a trusted source such as a big auction house or a reputable dealer. All Banksy artworks offered at Christie’s come with Pest Control certificates.
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Banksy (b. 1974), Christ with Shopping Bags, 2004. Screenprint in colours. Sheet 690 x 495 mm. Estimate: £30,000-50,000. Offered in Banksy: I can’t believe you morons actually buy this sh*t, 10-23 September 2020, Online
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His market is on the rise
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In Baskerville’s opinion, Banksy has earned his place in art history. ‘He’s not a fad that will disappear. His market is high but steady — but we see a peak when he pulls a stunt.’
It’s also a matter of supply and demand. Baskerville points out that Banksy had not made a new edition since Choose Your Weapon (above) in 2010, until Sale Ends (v.2) was released from the Pictures on Walls closing down sale in 2017, a reworked version of Banksy’s original screenprint from his Barely Legal show in 2006.
‘If he continues not to release any new editions, the prices for the existing prints will continue to rise,’ adds the specialist. ‘Banksy’s market doesn’t show any signs of decreasing,’
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Look after your Banksy — and it will look after you
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Although Banksy’s street art is weathered, most of his commercial works are issued in pristine condition — be it on paper, canvas, cardboard or stencilled on a wooden box. Care for them as you would any other artwork: hang canvases and prints away from direct sunlight and changing humidity. Works on paper should be framed beneath UV-protective glass.
It’s just as important to look after the Pest Control certificate: you will need it again if you decide to sell your Banksy.
10 September 2020
Photographs & Prints | Artists
Banksy created this work as part of The Cans Festival, Leake Street, London, in early May 2008. It no longer exists. Photo: Courtesy of Pest Control Office, Banksy, London, 2008
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