LOS ANGELES, CA.- Juliens Auctions, the worlds leading street art auction house, has announced its biannual Street Art & Contemporary Art auction featuring rare and exceptional highlights from the worlds most sought after street artists including the controversial graffiti artist Banksy. The Banksy artwork collection, containing nearly a dozen works, is a featured highlight section in the upcoming Street Art & Contemporary Art Auction taking place on Thursday, May 11, 2017 at the Juliens Auctions Los Angeles gallery which will feature over 200 lots.
Banksy is arguably one of the most controversial street artists in the world.
After 20 years of remaining completely anonymous, Banksy continues to bear huge influence on the art world, recently announcing the opening of his Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, a political stunt meant to bring tourists to the war-torn town and encourage dialogue to break down barriers. Banksy came to notoriety as a Street Artist by placing his artworks in conspicuous public spaces including buildings and vehicles. Working with all types of street art media, his works often give voice to a political or social message.
Banksy highlights include Flying Copper (2005), a signed, dated work on paper (Estimate: $15,000-$20,000) showing a police dressed in riot gear disarmingly depicted with a yellow smiley face for a head; Banksys Black Bobby (2003), an original black aerosol on wood panel (Estimate: $20,000-$40,000); Banksys Umbrella Rat (2003/04), an original black aerosol on metal door panel depicting Banksys signature motif, the rat (Estimate: $30,000-$50,000); Banksys Bomb Love (2004), a silkscreen on paper (Estimate: $5,000-$7,000); and Banksys Trollies (Color), a silkscreen on paper, signed and numbered by the artist (Estimate: $8,000-$12,000). The auction will also feature a significant collection of over 200 works by other iconic street artists along with a vast array of contemporary artists including Shepard Fairey, RETNA, Andy Warhol, Mr. Brainwash, Invader, Keith Haring, STIK, Blek Le Rat, KAWS, SWOON, Takashi Murakami, Yayoi Kusama, Tomo Matsuyama and more.
Additional highlights include My Young Blue Blood by RETNA, an original acrylic and enamel on wood panel (Estimate: $30,000-$50,000); Andy Warhols Mick Jagger II.147 (1975), a screen print on paper signed by both Warhol and Jagger (Estimate: $30,000-$40,000); Shepard Faireys Soldier Wheatpaste, a large scale screen print on four panels (Estimate: $30,000-$40,000); Shepard Faireys Change 2008, a screen print of Faireys iconic Obama image signed by both Barack Obama and Shepard Fairey (Estimate: $2,000-$4,000); Ryan McCanns Death to Shepard Fairey (2014), a life-size sculpture commenting on the recent overwhelming presence of Street Art in popular culture (Estimate: $8,000-$10,000); Tomo Matsuyamas NIP (Nothing in Progress) (2004), a significant large scale original acrylic on canvas, over four panels (Estmate: $30,000-$50,000); STIKs Sleeping Baby (Yellow) (2015) signed screen print (Estimate: $6,000-$8,000); and Keith Haring Untitled (1982 Set), a set of six artist proof prints all signed by Haring with matching AP edition numbers (Estimate: $20,000-$30,000).