International Art Centre Auctions • New Zealand, by Asteroid on Mar 12, 2021 15:42:08 GMT 1,

LOT 27. Banksy
Keep it Real
Acrylic and spray paint on canvas
30 x 30 cm
Signed on side of camvas
est. NZ$600,000 - NZ$1,000,000

PROVENANCE
Framed by Leonard Villa, London with framers label affixed verso Gifted to original owner by the artist, 2003 Subsequently sold to private collector, 2014 This collector now based in Auckland, New Zealand

This work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Pest Control

When Banksy was emerging as a street artist, he spent time with a renowned graffiti artist who spray painted trains in the 1980's. Banksy accompanied him at night in Bristol to see where and how they sprayed, in return Banksy sent him Keep it Real as a thank you. Keep it Real was sold privately to the current owner in 2014.



LOT 28. Banksy (British b. 1974)
Choose Your Weapon - Soft Yellow
Screenprint, edition 8/25
70 x 70 cm
Signed
est. NZ$150,000 - NZ$250,000

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Auckland Purchased from Walton Fine Arts, Chelsea, 2012 - original purchase receipt available to buyer

This work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Pest Control

Banksy's Choose Your Weapon first appeared on a wall outside London's Grange pub, Bermondsey in 2010. Shortly after the stencil appeared on the street, it was boarded over. It then reappeared, framed and covered in perspex. In August 2016, it was reported that the perspex itself had been covered in posters and advertising flyers obscuring it from view entirely.

In December 2010 Pictures On Walls released limited edition prints of the mural to a multitude of fans who queued for hours in the cold to get their hands on a work by Banksy. The queue notoriously got out of control, with desperate fans pushing and shoving, which resulted in Banksy releasing a special queue jumping edition in grey for those who missed their chance.

The collection of prints were available in fifteen different colours - all editions of 25. Choose Your Weapon - Soft Yellow features a hooded man with dark clothing and a bandana hiding his face, a visual motif recurrent in Banksy's stencil work and meant to signifying Britain's disaffected youth. His menacing appearance is contrasted by his casual hand in the pocket posture and his cartoon Haring dog, chained and barking.

Here Banksy implies the dog has become an alternative weapon on the UK streets.

The minimalist animal, painted in a hieroglyphic all-white silhouette, is in contrast to the hyper- realistic representation of his master and the style is a clear nod to the late Keith Haring (1958- 90) whose Barking Dog is one of the most recognised motifs of contemporary art in the 1980s.

This represents an opportunity to acquire a signed Banksy from an edition of 25. The lowest commercial edition ever published by the artist.



LOT 29. Banksy
Morons (Black and white)
Screenprint, edition 101/150
56 x 76 cm
Signed & numbered
est. NZ$100,000 - NZ$150,000

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Auckland Originally purchased from Pictures on Walls, original receipt affixed verso Original Pictures on Walls tissue included within frame.

Never before framed until now This work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Pest Control

Morons portrays Christies art auction room full of collectors bidding for a number of artworks, including one in an elaborate frame that reads, 'I can't believe you morons actually buy this shit'. Banksy uploaded the image on his then website, following a record- breaking auction result for one of his canvases. Morons is an example of Banksy's unapologetic critiques on the extraordinarily high prices of his, and many other artists' artworks pointing a mocking finger at their buyers.

Banksy's relationship with the art dealers and auction houses is ironically notoriously controversial, which some believe is why he is so successful. The artist has expressed similarly critical opinions of the art world's commercialism through public pranks such as the famous incident in 2018 at Sotheby's auction of Girl With Balloon, ceremoniously shredded itself in front of the audience soon after the auctioneer knocked his gavel down.

It is widely thought Banksy based Morons on a famous press photograph of Christies auctioneer Charles Hindlip selling Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers on March 30, 1987 for £22m.



LOT 30. Banksy (British b. 1974)
Chocolate Donuts
Screenprint, edition of 40/299
55 x 76 cm
Signed
est. NZ$70,000 - NZ$100,000

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Australia Purchased from Pictures on Walls, 2009

This work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Pest Control

Chocolate Donuts came after the original Banksy Strawberry Donut work, this time featuring a giant chocolate donut covered in sprinkles affixed to the roof of a police van. The blue and red spots as flashing lights of the police vehicles add splashes of colour in the artwork. It could represent Banksy's ironic commentary on police values in America, the police are stereotyped for their love of takeaway coffee and donuts. Alternatively it could be a satirical suggestion police prioritise the safety of their snacks over the safety of their suspects.

The image could have a broader meaning, if we view the police as mere enforcers, perhaps they are protecting the very essence of commercialism, represented by the donut. It is rare for Banksy to create a piece that doesn't have some form of social, environmental or political message so it seems unlikely the artist is referring to just donuts. The police were a frequent subject of Banksy screenprints, such as in his notorious Rude Copper, Have A Nice Day and Flying Copper works.

The number of prints released - 299 for each flavour is widely believed to be a reference to the Krispy Kreme financial troubles in 2007, the year it closed down 299 of it's stores.



LOT 31. Banksy (British b. 1974)
Soup Can (Original), 2005
Screenprint, edtion 12/250
50 x 36 cm
Numbered
est. NZ$80,000 - NZ$120,000

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Auckland

This work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Pest Control

Banksy's original four-colour screenprint Soup Cans, is a play on Andy Warhol's now infamous Pop Art Campbell's Soup Cans. Banksy has taken the idea that commercial products can be art, as is the Pop Art ethos, but has rendered it in his tongue-in-cheek style with Tesco Value cans of cream of tomato soup. This limited edition screenprint is one of Banksy's most iconic. Four different variations were released. The number of cans featured on the print and their colours vary. Banksy first turned to graffiti as a young, disillusioned adolescent. Inspired by the thriving graffiti community in his home city, Bristol, Banksy's works began appearing on trains and city streets in 1993, and by 2001 his signature, stencilled works had cropped up all over the United Kingdom.

Typically crafting his images with spray paint and cardboard stencils, Banksy is able to achieve a meticulous level of detail. His aesthetic is clean and instantly comprehensible due to his unique ability to distil complex political and social statements into simple visual elements.

His graffiti, paintings, and screenprints use whimsy and humour to satirically critique war, capitalism, hypocrisy and greed. His anti-establishment wit has had an undeniable impact on today's contemporary street culture.



LOT 32. Banksy (British b. 1974)
Gangsta Rat
Screenprint, edition 110/350
49.5 x 34.5 cm
est. NZ$40,000 - NZ$60,000

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Auckland Purchased from Pictures on Walls, 2006

This work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Pest Control

Gangsta Rat was originally a mural that appeared in Farringdon in 2004, then Old Street in 2006 and finally New York in 2013 on the occasion of the artist's painting residency: Better Out Than In. In 2004 it was subsequently produced as a screenprint in Banksy's iconic spray-stencil style.

The work depicts a rat sitting next to a boombox wearing accessories typical of "gangster" street wear, such as a New York Mets baseball cap, an ear piercing and a long chain. In the background the tagged letters IPOW appear as a central splash of colour. This is an ironic social commentary on the ubiquity of Apple products and POW is a reference to Banksy's print publisher: Pictures on Walls.

The rat character portrayed is reminiscent of the New York underground style that emerged across the United Kingdom in the 1980s and 90s, also drawing inspiration from Blek Le Rat, the French graffiti artist who originally started using rats as his symbol. In the publication Wall and Piece, Banksy said: Every time I think I've painted something slightly original, I find out that Blek le Rat has done it as well, only 20 years earlier.

www.internationalartcentre.co.nz/auctions/

LOT 27. Banksy
Keep it Real
Acrylic and spray paint on canvas
30 x 30 cm
Signed on side of camvas
est. NZ$600,000 - NZ$1,000,000

PROVENANCE
Framed by Leonard Villa, London with framers label affixed verso Gifted to original owner by the artist, 2003 Subsequently sold to private collector, 2014 This collector now based in Auckland, New Zealand

This work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Pest Control

When Banksy was emerging as a street artist, he spent time with a renowned graffiti artist who spray painted trains in the 1980's. Banksy accompanied him at night in Bristol to see where and how they sprayed, in return Banksy sent him Keep it Real as a thank you. Keep it Real was sold privately to the current owner in 2014.



LOT 28. Banksy (British b. 1974)
Choose Your Weapon - Soft Yellow
Screenprint, edition 8/25
70 x 70 cm
Signed
est. NZ$150,000 - NZ$250,000

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Auckland Purchased from Walton Fine Arts, Chelsea, 2012 - original purchase receipt available to buyer

This work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Pest Control

Banksy's Choose Your Weapon first appeared on a wall outside London's Grange pub, Bermondsey in 2010. Shortly after the stencil appeared on the street, it was boarded over. It then reappeared, framed and covered in perspex. In August 2016, it was reported that the perspex itself had been covered in posters and advertising flyers obscuring it from view entirely.

In December 2010 Pictures On Walls released limited edition prints of the mural to a multitude of fans who queued for hours in the cold to get their hands on a work by Banksy. The queue notoriously got out of control, with desperate fans pushing and shoving, which resulted in Banksy releasing a special queue jumping edition in grey for those who missed their chance.

The collection of prints were available in fifteen different colours - all editions of 25. Choose Your Weapon - Soft Yellow features a hooded man with dark clothing and a bandana hiding his face, a visual motif recurrent in Banksy's stencil work and meant to signifying Britain's disaffected youth. His menacing appearance is contrasted by his casual hand in the pocket posture and his cartoon Haring dog, chained and barking.

Here Banksy implies the dog has become an alternative weapon on the UK streets.

The minimalist animal, painted in a hieroglyphic all-white silhouette, is in contrast to the hyper- realistic representation of his master and the style is a clear nod to the late Keith Haring (1958- 90) whose Barking Dog is one of the most recognised motifs of contemporary art in the 1980s.

This represents an opportunity to acquire a signed Banksy from an edition of 25. The lowest commercial edition ever published by the artist.



LOT 29. Banksy
Morons (Black and white)
Screenprint, edition 101/150
56 x 76 cm
Signed & numbered
est. NZ$100,000 - NZ$150,000

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Auckland Originally purchased from Pictures on Walls, original receipt affixed verso Original Pictures on Walls tissue included within frame.

Never before framed until now This work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Pest Control

Morons portrays Christies art auction room full of collectors bidding for a number of artworks, including one in an elaborate frame that reads, 'I can't believe you morons actually buy this shit'. Banksy uploaded the image on his then website, following a record- breaking auction result for one of his canvases. Morons is an example of Banksy's unapologetic critiques on the extraordinarily high prices of his, and many other artists' artworks pointing a mocking finger at their buyers.

Banksy's relationship with the art dealers and auction houses is ironically notoriously controversial, which some believe is why he is so successful. The artist has expressed similarly critical opinions of the art world's commercialism through public pranks such as the famous incident in 2018 at Sotheby's auction of Girl With Balloon, ceremoniously shredded itself in front of the audience soon after the auctioneer knocked his gavel down.

It is widely thought Banksy based Morons on a famous press photograph of Christies auctioneer Charles Hindlip selling Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers on March 30, 1987 for £22m.



LOT 30. Banksy (British b. 1974)
Chocolate Donuts
Screenprint, edition of 40/299
55 x 76 cm
Signed
est. NZ$70,000 - NZ$100,000

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Australia Purchased from Pictures on Walls, 2009

This work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Pest Control

Chocolate Donuts came after the original Banksy Strawberry Donut work, this time featuring a giant chocolate donut covered in sprinkles affixed to the roof of a police van. The blue and red spots as flashing lights of the police vehicles add splashes of colour in the artwork. It could represent Banksy's ironic commentary on police values in America, the police are stereotyped for their love of takeaway coffee and donuts. Alternatively it could be a satirical suggestion police prioritise the safety of their snacks over the safety of their suspects.

The image could have a broader meaning, if we view the police as mere enforcers, perhaps they are protecting the very essence of commercialism, represented by the donut. It is rare for Banksy to create a piece that doesn't have some form of social, environmental or political message so it seems unlikely the artist is referring to just donuts. The police were a frequent subject of Banksy screenprints, such as in his notorious Rude Copper, Have A Nice Day and Flying Copper works.

The number of prints released - 299 for each flavour is widely believed to be a reference to the Krispy Kreme financial troubles in 2007, the year it closed down 299 of it's stores.



LOT 31. Banksy (British b. 1974)
Soup Can (Original), 2005
Screenprint, edtion 12/250
50 x 36 cm
Numbered
est. NZ$80,000 - NZ$120,000

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Auckland

This work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Pest Control

Banksy's original four-colour screenprint Soup Cans, is a play on Andy Warhol's now infamous Pop Art Campbell's Soup Cans. Banksy has taken the idea that commercial products can be art, as is the Pop Art ethos, but has rendered it in his tongue-in-cheek style with Tesco Value cans of cream of tomato soup. This limited edition screenprint is one of Banksy's most iconic. Four different variations were released. The number of cans featured on the print and their colours vary. Banksy first turned to graffiti as a young, disillusioned adolescent. Inspired by the thriving graffiti community in his home city, Bristol, Banksy's works began appearing on trains and city streets in 1993, and by 2001 his signature, stencilled works had cropped up all over the United Kingdom.

Typically crafting his images with spray paint and cardboard stencils, Banksy is able to achieve a meticulous level of detail. His aesthetic is clean and instantly comprehensible due to his unique ability to distil complex political and social statements into simple visual elements.

His graffiti, paintings, and screenprints use whimsy and humour to satirically critique war, capitalism, hypocrisy and greed. His anti-establishment wit has had an undeniable impact on today's contemporary street culture.



LOT 32. Banksy (British b. 1974)
Gangsta Rat
Screenprint, edition 110/350
49.5 x 34.5 cm
est. NZ$40,000 - NZ$60,000

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Auckland Purchased from Pictures on Walls, 2006

This work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Pest Control

Gangsta Rat was originally a mural that appeared in Farringdon in 2004, then Old Street in 2006 and finally New York in 2013 on the occasion of the artist's painting residency: Better Out Than In. In 2004 it was subsequently produced as a screenprint in Banksy's iconic spray-stencil style.

The work depicts a rat sitting next to a boombox wearing accessories typical of "gangster" street wear, such as a New York Mets baseball cap, an ear piercing and a long chain. In the background the tagged letters IPOW appear as a central splash of colour. This is an ironic social commentary on the ubiquity of Apple products and POW is a reference to Banksy's print publisher: Pictures on Walls.

The rat character portrayed is reminiscent of the New York underground style that emerged across the United Kingdom in the 1980s and 90s, also drawing inspiration from Blek Le Rat, the French graffiti artist who originally started using rats as his symbol. In the publication Wall and Piece, Banksy said: Every time I think I've painted something slightly original, I find out that Blek le Rat has done it as well, only 20 years earlier.

www.internationalartcentre.co.nz/auctions/