Banksy Originals
For Sale by Auction 28th June 2008
Border Auctions are please to announce the inclusion of 2 original pieces of art by the artist known as Banksy
Two works known as ‘Drums/Grenade’ and ‘Sid Vicious 100% Punk Rock’. Originally painted onto the outside of an ‘Overlander’ semi-trailer. A friend of the owners, Banksy asked for permission on at least four occasions to use the vehicle as a canvas.
Both ‘Drums/Grenade’ and ‘Sid Vicious-100% Punk rock’ were created using spray cans by Banksy at the Lizard Festival in Cornwall , 1999, part of the celebrations surrounding the full eclipse of the sun. Part of a larger work covering one complete side of the semi trailer, ‘Drums/Grenade’ itself is, in fact, an original door from the vehicle, ‘Sid vicious-100% Punk Rock’ an adjacent vehicle section.
Quite different from his urban works which are often created at night, these works were created very much in the midst of a festival and can be viewed as examples of performance art by the artist.
The complete, original composition created in 1999 occupied one side of the semi-trailer and contained the two works to be auctioned ,(which along with another section not for auction at the moment) , was given the title ‘Fungle Junk’. ‘Fungle Junk’ was originally a composition depicting two monkeys performing on stage; one playing drums, the other playing keyboards, both flanked by banks of speakers.
These three sections were separated from the original semi-trailer when it was joined onto another similar vehicle to create a large , mostly open plan , caravan-type space where the family live today. (The original semi-trailer was used by its owners from 1995-2004 for transporting circus big tops to various events.)
In 2000 , at the Glastonbury Festival, Banksy over painted the work known as ‘Sid Vicious-100% Punk rock’ turning the monkey playing keyboards into a piglet , also adding a stencil work of Sid Vicious and the legend 100% punk rock.
Banksy first used this vehicle as a ‘canvas’ in 1998 when he painted one complete side with Graffiti artist Inkie at the Glastonbury Festival This work took three days to complete and measures 2.4 metres by 9.95 metres. This work , known as ‘Silent majority’ is not for auction at the moment, but could easily be the single largest work by Banksy .
These works are painted on to plywood which forms an insulated wall with a similar sheet of ply.
‘Drums/Grenade’ measures 1.86 metres by 0.76 metres and is 7cm thick.
‘Sid Vicious-100% Punk Rock measures 2 metres by 1.7 metres and again 7cm thick.
Both works have been placed into perspex boxes, to Museum standard, for safe keeping. They are ‘weathered’ and show signs of use due to the fact that this was a working vehicle on the road from 1998 – 2004.
These early, unknown examples of work by Banksy are unique studies from his remarkable career and will not often come to auction.
Photographs of the semi-trailer at various festivals can be found on pages 21 and 73 of the book “Banksy’s Bristol, HOME SWEET HOME The unofficial guide”, by Steve Wright. Published 2007 by Tangent Books of Bristol.
“Drums/Grenade”
PROVENANCE:
Nathen Wellard and Emma Neale.
Gratefully acknowledged by Banksy
From Overlander semi-trailer as canvas
Lizard Festival 1999
“Sid Vicious-100% Punk Rock”
PROVENANCE:
Nathen Wellard and Emma Neale.
Gratefully acknowledged by Banksy
From Overlander semi-trailer as canvas
Lizard Festival 1999 and Glastonbury Festival 2000
- Tags: Banksy, Border Auctions, News, Stencil, Trailer
