From his home town of Bristol, England to London, Palestine, Los Angeles, and most recently New York, Banksy's work has been seen around the world. He was also one of the first graffiti artists to command serious cash for his work, with pieces fetching seven-figure sums at auction and celebrity collectors including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Christina Aguilera.
Now, his former gallery dealer Steve Lazarides has arranged an “unauthorized” retrospective of his work, showing pieces from 2000 to 2008. Lazarides, who predominantly sells work that stems from the street in his three UK galleries, commented on his Twitter feed—“It'll be fucking fun to see so many of his old pieces together. Like a fucked school reunion.”
The exhibition, held at Sotheby’s gallery space S|2 in London, features over 70 paintings, sculptures, and prints from the notorious artist, all of which are for sale, with prices ranging from £4,000 to over £500,000 (a bit of a kick in the teeth for those who walked past his stall in New York’s Central Park when he was selling works for $60 last October). The walls have been decorated by Lazarides himself, with the aid of a number of fire extinguishers filled with paint to give the usually upmarket gallery a more gritty feel. Many of these works have never been seen before, making this a must-see show for any serious fan.
Fru Tholstrup, Director of S|2, commented during the preview, “Banksy is more than just a street artist—he is a true cultural phenomenon of our time. Although we all feel we know the images he's produced over the years, there's hardly ever been an opportunity to see together the full range of his best-known works.”
View "Banksy: The Unauthorized Retrospective" tomorrow, June 11, through July 25, 2014.
Banksy, Kate Moss (2005) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Stop Me Before I Paint Again (2004) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Napalm AP / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Bronze Rat / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Burger King Kid (2006) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Soup Can (Original); 4 Soup Cans (Original Colourway); Soup Cans (Blue and Red on Grey); Soup Can (Pink, Cherry, Blue) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Bombing Middle England (2000) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Flying Copper (2003) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Sunflowers From Petrol Station (2005) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Stop Esso (2000); Bullet Proof David (2006); Kissing Coppers (2005) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Grin Reaper / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Palestine Photo (Beach Boys) (2006) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Pest Control - Banksus Militus Vandalus (2004) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Barcode Leopard (2001) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Di-Faced Tenners (2001) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, UFO (2005) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Trolleys (2006) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Monkey Queen (2003) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Avon and Somerset Constabulary (2001) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Palestine Photo (Alpine Living Room) (2006) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Kate Moss (2005); Monkey Queen (2003); I Fought the Law and I Won (Silver) (2004); Rude Copper (2002) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, The Key to Making Great Art Is All in the Composition (2005) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Keep It Real (2001) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Banksy, Paranoid Pictures (2003) / Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
Image via Complex / Photo by Holly Howe
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