On February 24, 2009 a set of 20 limited edition Bansky prints were put up for auction at Bonhams’ Urban Art Sale in London. The prints, originally produced in 2006, feature a Warhol-esque Kate Moss. Expected to retrieve up to £150,000 ($222,000 USD), the work failed to sell. This was a shock, as one of the very same prints sold at Bonham’s for £96,000 just a year ago. It is difficult to say if this is a reflection of the state of the UK economy or of Banksy’s appeal.

It is rumored that Banksy, in an effort to prove his work could transcend the Banksy brand name, staged the June 2008 “Life is Beautiful” show in Los Angeles under the guise Mr. Brainwash. Jam packed with prints and installations, many of which referenced Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe pieces, the show drew an estimated 5,000+ eager fans on opening night. Each anxious to get a glimpse of the masses of work steeped in controversy and marred by rumors. Some suggested that Thierry Guetta, a.k.a Mr. Brainwash, was a hired proxy in the Banksy prank.

What is obvious is that the MBW and Banksy sets are drawn from the same cloth. The recent Banksy re-release is a sobering reminder that controversy may not be enough to drive value and demand for his work.

Were not 100% sure this is legit, but on the off chance it might be we signed up.

“Brahma and artichoke have joined forces to beat the Credit Crunch. We believe that these tough economic times should not affect your art collection – so you can buy an original Banksy print for only 1p here.
To ensure the process is completely democratic and not just a case of ‘fastest finger first’ you will need to click on the ‘register for 1p Banksy’ button at the bottom of this page to get your chance to buy the Banksy for 1p.
You will be allocated with a registration number which will be entered into a draw at a secret location in central London on the 27th of March; should your number come up, you get the Banksy for 1p.”

Get the details here.

Headline grabbing British street art star BANKSY grabbed even more attention this week when two massive new murals featuring his trademark rat character were unveiled in downtown NYC. The enormous spots were not the artist’s usual sneak attacks, however, as both images appeared on legally rented walls and were painted—in uncharacteristically plain sight over the course of several days—by commissioned Manhattan sign painters COLOSSAL MEDIA. Of course this has raised the eyebrows of the worldwide legion of the Banksy faithful that follow the Bristol Bad Boy’s every clandestine move with baited breath. Has Sir Banks given up his usual M.O. in favor of going legit? Has he made so much money that it’s safer to rent space and hire commercial painters than bomb? Is he qualified to run for Vice President of the USA? Unfortunately, none of these questions will be answered in the weeks to come. Via Super Touch.

See more photos after the jump-
Read the rest of this entry »

Recently work which looks to be the doing of none other than Banksy, appeared on the streets of New Orleans. He has adapted his message to reflect the current situation in the New Orleans area. Not only making political commentary but highlighting an issue the local art community is having with a man they affectionately refer to as the “Grey Ghost” (a.k.a Fred Radtke). Radtke not only covers graffiti with his signature grey roller. He also covers work by local artists, including murals he deems unworthy as well as signs locals have long added to telephone poles to brighten up their neighborhoods. It is great to see Bansky taking up local causes.

Read the rest of this entry »

I know very little about Mr. Brainwash for certain. I know that two of the most prominent artists in the world have made both positive and seemingly negative comments about the man, very publicly and very recently. This former film maker turned street artist will be making a very public display of his work next Wednesday June 18th at 7:00pm at 6121 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028.

Read the rest of this entry »

With his own typically cheeky answer to Cannes, underground mischief maker extrordinaire Bansky has answered in kind with his own “Cans Festival” in London. Our favorite graffiti impresario brought together more than three dozen internationally renowned graffiti artists to take muster a “a street party of stencil art” in a tunnel underneath Waterloo station last weekend.

Read the rest of this entry »

In early February 2008 several mysterious pieces were sighted around Hollywood. Namely a few on Beverly Blvd. Rumors are we can credit the illusive Banksy. Several of his long standing stencils on Melrose had recently been repainted after years of relatively uninterrupted display. We can only hope that these new works will enjoy a long lifespan.

Read the rest of this entry »

“I can’t believe you morons actually buy this shit,” is our new favorite phrase of the day thanks to art punk extraordinaire Banksy. The anonymous street artist sends a big middle finger to all the patrons who are obviously buying the prints as an investment or the “cool factor.” As you would expect, all of these prints sound out all most instantly at prices ranging from £250 ($491.25) for unsigned prints to £650 ($1,277.25) for signed ones. Just in case you missed it, be sure and check out Neu Blacks coverage of Banksy’s LA show last year.

Though currently unavailable, these prints as well as others from Banksy are periodically available through POW (Pictures on Walls) if you want to check this out for yourself.

We have to admit, when we saw a banksy print was for sale, we were tempeted to buy just for the priceless irony. We ‘d like to ask everyone, would you buy a print like this?