Story Behind Dreweatts Banksy Monkey Detonator, by rosstierney on Sept 19, 2008 16:01:38 GMT 1, www.thisisbristol.co.uk/wdp/news/Talia-laughing-way-Banksy/article-338181-detail/article.html

Art lover Talia Findlay was speechless when she was told an image by street artist Banksy bought for just £250 is expected to fetch a staggering £40,000 to £60,000 at auction.

Talia's dad Nick paid £250 for Monkey Detonator as a birthday present for her in 2000, before Bristol-born Banksy's profile exploded and he won the tag of the world's most infamous guerrilla artist.

Banksy is now in huge demand on both sides of the Atlantic with celebrity collectors including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Christina Aguilera paying hundreds of thousands for his work.

Yesterday mum-of-two Talia, 36, said: "My dad bought me the Banksy showing a monkey leaping on to a detonator as a surprise for my 28th birthday.

"He paid £250 at Banksy's third exhibition at Severnshed in Bristol. I absolutely loved it and it's been the centrepiece of my bedroom for the past eight years.
Click here!

"But I was gobsmacked, totally speechless, when I was told it is now valued at £40,000 to £60,000. You could say it was a massive cherry on the cake when I was told what it was worth."

Now Talia is holding her breath until October 14 when Monkey Detonator will go under the hammer alongside 10 other Banksys at auctioneer Dreweatts' Urban Art Sale at London's Shoreditch Studios.

Yesterday Mary McCarthy, the auction house's head of urban art, said: "It is a unique, very exciting Banksy piece and one of the best we've ever offered for sale."

Delighted accounts director Talia, who lives in Somerset with her husband Robert, said: ''We're very excited. We've got two boys aged four and five and we're hoping to put the money towards their education.

"It happened almost by accident. I was at Paintworks in Bristol in June when someone said there was an Urban Art sale preview including Banksy, so I just popped in out of interest.

"I had a look round and then I got chatting to Mary about Monkey Detonator. I thought it might be worth a couple of thousand, but when she told me it was worth £40,000 to £60,000, I just couldn't believe it.

"My knees were shaking and my husband was absolutely astonished."

All 11 Banksy works in Dreweatts' latest Urban Art sale, which will again be previewed at Paintworks from October 2 to 4, have been fully authenticated by the artist's office, Pest Control.

The real money-spinner is expected to be Banksy's first original "vandalised oil" work, created in 2001.

The artist has stencilled a menacing helicopter gunship flying across a classical oil painting showing a two-masted sailing ship anchored in a bay against a sky tinged golden by the setting sun. The work titled Vandalised Oil # 001 was bought for just £750 at Banksy's exhibition at London's Cargo nightclub in 2001 but is now expected to fetch between £150,000 to £200,000.

Three other Banksy originals are set to go under the hammer at Dreweatts' October sale, including Precision Bombing.

The unique stencil on canvas shows a sinister target image aimed at five gangsters walking towards a limousine. The seller bought it for £150 in 2003 and it is now estimated at £15,000 to £25,000.

Family Target is another disturbing work with a target centred on a carefree couple running from the sea hand in hand with their child - with the youngster's head blown off.

The original Banksy stencil on cardboard sold for £2,500 at the Art Republic Pop Exhibition in Brighton in 2004, but has rocketed in value and is now expected to fetch £30,000 to £50,000.

The final Banksy original titled Watch Tower is a signed, hand-carved sculpture in olive wood, the 'tree of peace', denouncing the Israeli Government's wall of segregation along the Palestinian border. It is estimated at £8,000 to £12,000.

Yesterday Mary McCarthy said: ''The appeal of Banksy's work is that his message just shouts out from his images, it is direct communication with the people. Anyone aged from five to 90 can appreciate his work and understand the message."

Previews of the Urban Art Sale will be held at Bristol's Paintworks from October 2 to 4 before and London's Shoreditch Studios from October 10 until the sale at 6.30pm on October 14.

www.thisisbristol.co.uk/wdp/news/Talia-laughing-way-Banksy/article-338181-detail/article.html

Art lover Talia Findlay was speechless when she was told an image by street artist Banksy bought for just £250 is expected to fetch a staggering £40,000 to £60,000 at auction.

Talia's dad Nick paid £250 for Monkey Detonator as a birthday present for her in 2000, before Bristol-born Banksy's profile exploded and he won the tag of the world's most infamous guerrilla artist.

Banksy is now in huge demand on both sides of the Atlantic with celebrity collectors including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Christina Aguilera paying hundreds of thousands for his work.

Yesterday mum-of-two Talia, 36, said: "My dad bought me the Banksy showing a monkey leaping on to a detonator as a surprise for my 28th birthday.

"He paid £250 at Banksy's third exhibition at Severnshed in Bristol. I absolutely loved it and it's been the centrepiece of my bedroom for the past eight years.
Click here!

"But I was gobsmacked, totally speechless, when I was told it is now valued at £40,000 to £60,000. You could say it was a massive cherry on the cake when I was told what it was worth."

Now Talia is holding her breath until October 14 when Monkey Detonator will go under the hammer alongside 10 other Banksys at auctioneer Dreweatts' Urban Art Sale at London's Shoreditch Studios.

Yesterday Mary McCarthy, the auction house's head of urban art, said: "It is a unique, very exciting Banksy piece and one of the best we've ever offered for sale."

Delighted accounts director Talia, who lives in Somerset with her husband Robert, said: ''We're very excited. We've got two boys aged four and five and we're hoping to put the money towards their education.

"It happened almost by accident. I was at Paintworks in Bristol in June when someone said there was an Urban Art sale preview including Banksy, so I just popped in out of interest.

"I had a look round and then I got chatting to Mary about Monkey Detonator. I thought it might be worth a couple of thousand, but when she told me it was worth £40,000 to £60,000, I just couldn't believe it.

"My knees were shaking and my husband was absolutely astonished."

All 11 Banksy works in Dreweatts' latest Urban Art sale, which will again be previewed at Paintworks from October 2 to 4, have been fully authenticated by the artist's office, Pest Control.

The real money-spinner is expected to be Banksy's first original "vandalised oil" work, created in 2001.

The artist has stencilled a menacing helicopter gunship flying across a classical oil painting showing a two-masted sailing ship anchored in a bay against a sky tinged golden by the setting sun. The work titled Vandalised Oil # 001 was bought for just £750 at Banksy's exhibition at London's Cargo nightclub in 2001 but is now expected to fetch between £150,000 to £200,000.

Three other Banksy originals are set to go under the hammer at Dreweatts' October sale, including Precision Bombing.

The unique stencil on canvas shows a sinister target image aimed at five gangsters walking towards a limousine. The seller bought it for £150 in 2003 and it is now estimated at £15,000 to £25,000.

Family Target is another disturbing work with a target centred on a carefree couple running from the sea hand in hand with their child - with the youngster's head blown off.

The original Banksy stencil on cardboard sold for £2,500 at the Art Republic Pop Exhibition in Brighton in 2004, but has rocketed in value and is now expected to fetch £30,000 to £50,000.

The final Banksy original titled Watch Tower is a signed, hand-carved sculpture in olive wood, the 'tree of peace', denouncing the Israeli Government's wall of segregation along the Palestinian border. It is estimated at £8,000 to £12,000.

Yesterday Mary McCarthy said: ''The appeal of Banksy's work is that his message just shouts out from his images, it is direct communication with the people. Anyone aged from five to 90 can appreciate his work and understand the message."

Previews of the Urban Art Sale will be held at Bristol's Paintworks from October 2 to 4 before and London's Shoreditch Studios from October 10 until the sale at 6.30pm on October 14.