Banksy Art

Whether plastering cities with his trademark parachuting rat, painting imagined openings in the West Bank barrier in Israel, or stenciling “We’re bored of fish” above a penguins’ zoo enclosure, Banksy creates street art with an irreverent wit and an international reputation that precedes his anonymous identity. “TV has made going to the theatre seem pointless, photography has pretty much killed painting,” he says, “but graffiti has remained gloriously unspoilt by progress.” Banksy has gained his notoriety through a range of urban interventions, from modifying street signs and printing his own currency to illegally hanging his own works in institutions such as the Louvre and the Museum of Modern Art. Most often using spray paint and stencils, Banksy has crafted a signature, immediately identifiable graphic style—and a recurring cast of cops, soldiers, children, and celebrities—through which he critically examines contemporary issues of consumerism, political authority, terrorism, and the status of art and its display.

Sale Ends Today

Banksy Parking Girl Swing first appeared on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles in 2010. The wall depicts the word parking” painted in black with the -ing” whitewashed out and a girl swinging on a swing from the word done in red. The wall itself, before the work appeared, was white, blank; the word parking” was not on the wall. Banksy put up the word and the girl on the swing, then, later, covered over the -ing.” Art interpretation is subjective, though the meaning of this one is pretty clear. Here is a parking lot. It is utilitarian, and ugly, located along a downtown city street. The piece is in a commercial area, with business offices surrounding it. A park would be a vast improvement over the current land use. It would be a place where children could play, and would liven up the neighborhood quite a bit. Parking Girl Swing can be considered a commentary on the urban landscape.

Donuts (Strawberry), 2009

In his “Donut (Strawberry)”print, Banksy plays upon the American association of donuts with policemen. In this image, policemen on motorcycles surround and escort a truck with a large strawberry frosted donut on top, the only colored element in the image.

Radar Rat, 2004

Coming from a hand finished edition of 75, ’Sonic Rat’ depicts one of Banksy’s preferred subjects, a rat, who is using a radar. A representation of sonic waves spray painted in red is shown in the background.
Originally available at Santa's Ghetto 2004 for £300. Was still available for £300 at Santa's Ghetto 2005, but the price was increased to £500 after some were bought & put straight on ebay. The spiral is hand-painted in red or orange. Also known as 'Sonic Rat'.