HESSINK'S AUCTIONEERS - BANKSY 'MASTER OF STREET ART'

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

BANKSY (British Street Artist, b. 1974) 

‘LOVE IS IN THE AIR’ (FLOWER THROWER)

(Signed Artist Proof), Banksy signed screen print edition, no. 8 of 27, 2003

 

This extremely rare Art Work, called 'Love Is In The Air' aka 'Flower Thrower', is one of Banksy’s most instantly recognizable and iconic images. The artwork was first unveiled on the West Bank Wall separating Israel and Palestine in 2003 and depicts a rioter wearing a baseball cap and a scarf over his nose and mouth, hurling what at first appears to be a Molotov cocktail, but in fact is merely a bunch of flowers. The image is heavily laden with political sentiment and it’s siting in an area of historic conflict, amplifies this yet further.

Banksy also released a limited edition print of the image on a red background in 2003, of which there were 500 signed and 150 unsigned copies released. In 2005, it featured on the front cover of his hugely successful autobiography Wall and Piece and a number of different versions of the image have been produced since 2003, ranging from stencils on canvas, cardboard and wood, as well as a framed triptych edition.

The image is quintessential Banksy, not only for its political nature and clean lined execution, but also for its easily interpretable language and global appeal.

Banksy has become the world’s most sought after and talked about street artist, his clever visual musings appearing on city walls throughout the world from London to New York, from Jamaica to the Gaza Strip and from Berlin to Sydney. He is not only known for his street works, but also for his limited edition prints, which he has produced in various formats, including signed and unsigned examples, as well as artist's proofs and gift prints. However, only a very select number of people know exactly what the elusive street artist creates and how many prints he releases. Some editions, for example, are only made available to VIPs, collectors and friends of Banksy’s who are part of a much-coveted inner circle. This has only made the demand for his limited edition silkscreen prints and artist's proofs in circulation, grow in popularity year on year.

Love Is In The Air
Artist Proof Edt 8 / 27
Screen Print on Paper 2003
Artwork Dimensions: 50 x 70 cm
Signed Comes with a COA from PCO (Pest Control)
Published by Pictures on Walls

Price on request

 

Auction 18 December 2021

                      

 

MALI GIRL

BANKSY (British Street Artist, b. 1974) 

‘MALI GIRL’

Stencil, freehand, spraypaint and acrylic on dried mud. Size: 133 x 139 cm (framed); 117 x 123 cm. (unframed)

In January 2009, Banksy visited Africa. During a short stint in the city of Timbuktu, a regional capital in the center of Mali, just on the border of the Sahara he created six artworks. Brilliant murals, all made with keen observation and a good eye for humor.

The pieces were quintessential Banksy and were confirmed as being by him at his 2009 summer exhibition in Bristol, called 'Banksy versus Bristol Museum', which featured studies and sketches of the Mali project, alongside a vast portfolio of stencils, sculptures, paintings, mixed media works and photographs. The most well known of these six murals were 'Washing Zebra Stripes', 'Mali Girl and 'Buffalo Hunt' and the lesser known, 'No Clean Water left (x2) and 'Peaches Geldof Please Give Generously'. Of all the Timbuktu works, only 'Mali Girl' survived, the rest falling foul to vandalism and the Civil War between the Islamic Tuareg rebels of the MNLA and Ansar Dine.

It is consequently an extraordinarily important work and is the only surviving witness to Banksy's residency in Africa.

Estimate: 500,000 / 600,000 euro
 

Auction 18 December 2021

      
'Washing Zebra Stripes' before and after its demolition by Islamic Rebels      

 
3D RAT

BANKSY (British Street Artist, b. 1974) 

‘3D RAT’

Stencil and spraypaint on concrete. Size Framed: 55 x 41 x 9 cm. Unframed: 35 x 24 cm.

 

In January 2010 Banksy visited Park City in Utah (USA), where he created a number of works, including this piece which depicts a rat wearing 3D glasses. Banksy's trip to Utah was timed to coincide with the premiere of his film 'Exit Through The Gift Shop' which was playing at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City. Most of his pieces were subsequently lost to the harsh weather conditions or to vandalism.

Banksy himself once said of rats, "If you feel dirty, insignificant or unloved, then rats are a good role model. They exist without permission, they have no respect for the hierarchy of society, and they have sex 50 times a day.".

The piece was subject to initial cleaning and conservation and was framed in a bespoke mahogany frame with removable plexiglass.

 
Auction 18 December 2021

                        

 

UMBRELLA RAT, 2003

BANKSY (British Street Artist, b. 1974) 

‘UMBRELLA RAT’, 2003

Aerosol on wall piece, size: 43 x 35 x 6 cm. Embedded in concrete and custom made steel frame

Banksy 'Umbrella Rat' 2003/2004 Berlin. Found around Dirckenstrasse close to Alexanderplatz. From the artist route in Berlin
Provenance: Private Collection Berlin

 
Auction 18 December 2021

                   

 

BANKSY (British Street Artist, b. 1974) 

‘AFTER ALL IT IS A LITTLE BIT EXITING ... BREAKING THE RULES’, 2003

Stencil and spray paint on plywood, Glasgow, United Kingdom. Size: 200 x 150 cm (framed)

This rare example of Banksy's work was set far back from the road and was partially hidden by trees, and remained relatively unnoticed and untouched by the elements for many years. The work was spray painted onto a thick piece of white plywood, which had been used to cover up a window on a derelict building. The piece was painted over in 2018 and removed from the building in 2021. It was subsequently cleaned, restored and framed.

Estimate on request 

 
Auction 18 December 2021

 

LOVE PLANE

BANKSY (British Street Artist, b. 1974) 

‘LOVE PLANE’, 2011

Norwich House, Rumford Place, Liverpool
Stencil and Spray Paint on Concrete, 114 x 82 x 10 cm.
Framed in clear coated 8 mm mild steel with aluminium backing.

'Love Plane', was painted in 2011 by Banksy onto the side of Norwich House, which backs onto Rumford Street car park, opposite the Liverpool War Museum. The piece originally formed part of a more substantial artwork, which depicted the intricately detailed biplane, with a long plume of heart shaped white smoke behind it. Another rendering of the stencil, featuring the plane with a red plume of smoke behind it, had appeared in Wapping, London a short while before, but was painted out almost immediately by the owners of the building on which it had appeared.

In 2016, the piece was removed from its location by the building's freeholders who wished to preserve it prior to commencing extensive building works and the piece was sent off for restoration in preparation for its proposed display, along with a number of other Banksy pieces from the area, at a street art museum in Berry House, Baltic Triangle, but the proposed display was never realised.

The piece has been in a private collection since 2017 and will be on public display at Hessink's for the first time since its relocation in 2016.
It will be auctioned by Hessink's on 18 December 2021. 

Auction 18 December 2021

              

 

 

 

Auction 18 December 2021

Auction preview hours (open to the public)

11 - 17 December 2021 from 11.00 - 16.00 CET
and 18 December 2021 from 9.00 - 11.00 CET.

Auction starts on Saturday 18 December 2021 at 12.00 CET precisely.

 

Hessink's Auctioneers

Lichtmisweg 51 - 8035 PL - Zwolle - The Netherlands

For more information please call our office at contact@hessink.com or +31 (0)6 53 91 01 32