ART-BANKSY/AUCTION Huge Detroit, Bethlehem Banksy murals to be sold in Beverly Hills

Record ID: 145741

  • Title: ART-BANKSY/AUCTION Huge Detroit, Bethlehem Banksy murals to be sold in Beverly Hills
  • Date: 30th July 2015
  • Summary: BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JULY 29, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BANKSY'S "I REMEMBER WHEN ALL THIS WAS TREES" ART WORK MICHAEL DOYLE, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR JULIEN'S AUCTIONS, STANDING IN FRONT OF BANKSY'S ART CLOSE OF PAINTING WITH FINGERPRINTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICHAEL DOYLE, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR JULIEN'S AUCTIONS, SAYING:
  • Embargoed: 14th August 2015 13:00
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  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVADT5ECZ4ULKQ710CRL67SSLPUA
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A large street mural painted on a derelict Detroit auto factory by elusive British artist Banksy is going up for auction in Beverly Hills and could fetch up to $400,000 dollars for a local non-profit group, Julien's Auctions said on Wednesday (July 29).
    The 7 feet by 7 feet mural (2.1 by 2.1 meters) called "I Remember When All This Was Trees," which was painted by Banksy on the wall of the crumbling Packard factory in Detroit in 2010, will be sold along with a second large mural the graffiti artist created in Bethlehem.
    The Bethlehem work, called "Donkey Documents," depicts a donkey having its papers checked by an armed soldier and was one of a series of politically-aimed 2007 art works left by Banksy along a concrete barrier dividing the West Bank from Israel.
    "A very political message by Banksy at a very political place," Michael Doyle, director of business development at Julien's told Reuters. "A very political message by Banksy at a very political place."
    Julien's said the 7 feet high by 10 1/2 feet long (2.1 by 3.2 meters) Bethlehem mural could fetch up to $600,000 at the September 30 auction, although Doyle said the final price on both works could be much higher.
    "That's a very conservative estimate. Pieces like this have sold for over a million. So, we definitely think that's possible for this piece as well," said Doyle. A Banksy mural painted on a shop in London sold at a private auction for $1.1 million in 2013.
    Banksy, the pseudonym of a graffiti artist who first emerged in Bristol, England, hides his identity and real name. His often subversive, satirical works have become highly sought after by collectors even as their removal from their original sites has grown controversial.
    In April, Palestinian police confiscated a bombed-out doorway bearing a recent Banksy painting after the original owner complained he had been swindled into selling it to a local man for $175.
    Citing confidentiality, Doyle declined to give details on the Bethlehem mural but said Julien's had been approached by the owners after the work was removed from its original location. The mural was posted by Banksy on his website shortly after its creation, which is seen as a mark of authenticity.
    The Detroit mural is owned by the city's small non-profit 555 Gallery and is being sold to raise funds for community arts programs. It depicts a young boy wearing a hoodie with a red paint can and a brush and bears rare finger prints in red paint that are believed to have been left by Banksy.
    "On the paint bucket here you can actually see there are four or three fingers that Banksy smeared right down the side there, in red paint," said Doyle, pointing to what appears to be fingerprints made intentionally.
    "Actually, you can see distinct fingerprints on these marks right there," said Doyle. Fingerprints that Doyle believes could be used to reveal the illusive artist's identity.
    Another Banksy stencil on offer will be "Bomb Hugger", a black and red aerosol image depicting a young girl hugging an aerial bomb. The work was sprayed onto a cardboard panel and used as a placard during the International anti-war protests of 2003.
    "'Bomb Hugger' which is another iconic image that he's created of a little girl holding a bomb and spray painted above it in red is the word "No". Just N-O over it. So, a clear anti-war statement," said Doyle. "These were actually placards that he distributed among the crowd."
    A photograph of the owner shown holding the Banksy placard can be seen in an article about the protests published at the time in the Basingstoke Gazette. "Bomb Hugger" is estimate to bring in between $25 to $35 thousand.
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