Early Banksy Art Tipped To Bring More Than $1 Million

A work by renowned but elusive British street artist Banksy is tipped to become one of the most expensive contemporary works of art in New Zealand and could bring $1 million or more at an art auction in Auckland later this month.

Keep It Real is one of three works in the sale by Banksy, a global art phenomenon who has yet to be publicly identified, and is the feature offering at a sale of Important and Rare Art at the International Art Centre in Parnell, Auckland, later this month (March 30). More Banksy works are under consideration for the sale.

The 2003 signed work, which depicts a chimpanzee wearing a sandwich board inscribed with Keep it real, is one of Banksy’s earliest works and is considered one of his most desirable creations.

The International Art Centre has predicted it could bring between $600,000 and $1 million but director Richard Thomson, said because of Banksy’s extraordinary global popularity, it was almost impossible to accurately predict what it would bring.

“We have already had such wide interest from collectors and Banksy fans from around the world, that it could bring well over $1 million, which would make it the most expensive works of art by a living, contemporary artist in New Zealand art history.”

The International Art Centre has achieved several world-record prices for Banksy works in the last year and was recently listed by British art commentators and Banksy experts, as the world’s top performer in 2020 for Banksy works of art based on sales figures.

“Banksy is a modern-day art sensation. There is no one quite like him. He’s an activist who is deeply concerned about social injustice and inequities and his works carry very powerful and controversial, but often subtle messages.”

Keep it Real is one of the few earlier Banksy works to be issued with a Certificate of Authenticity by Pest Control, the company set up by Banksy to sell and authenticate his work.

Banksy was a friend of King Robbo, a pioneering British graffiti artist, although the friendship was best known for a long-running and very public dispute between the pair.

Banksy was thought to have created Keep It Real about the time the pair patched up their differences and became friends. King Robbo died in 2014, three years after falling and sustaining head injuries from which he never recovered.

Commentators believe both men were at the forefront of one of the most radical upheavals in art, and the perception, recognition and acceptance of modern art and that their works changed the art world forever.

The forthcoming sale features two other Banksy works, Choose your Weapon and Morons.

Choose your weapon features a hooded man holding a dog. It is believed to portray disaffected British youth and gang culture where aggressive dogs are seen as weaponry in their quest for power. Commentators also believe the harmless nature of the stylised dog puts a characteristic spin on this message and Banksy is asking people to 'choose our weapon' and turn stigma and prejudice, into kindness and peace.

Morons is also a controversial Banksy work. It is based on an historic sale of Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers which sold for more than $50 million at Christies in London in 1987, the highest price ever paid for a work of art.

Banksy’s Morons depicts an auction when a large canvas bearing the words in capitals, ‘I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU MORONS ACTUALLY BUY THIS SHIT’. Banksy mocks the crowd, representing art collectors in general, that pay huge money to acquire Banksy works, or works by other famous artists.

Mr Thomson said he was in discussion with the owners of several other Banksy works and they could also be included in the sale.

The Important and Rare Art auction also includes a wide range of some of the most recognised and important artists New Zealand has produced with some of the finest examples of New Zealand contemporary and historic art.

It includes works from the private collection of Auckland gallerist Judith Anderson, a highly sought after offering of six works by Toss Woollaston, five by Pat Hanly, a work by Philip Clairmont, works by the late Bill Hammond and Gretchen Albrecht. Other artists include Robin White, Don Binney, Colin McCahon, Frances Hodgkins, Michael Smither, Robyn Kahukiwa and a major 1968 work by Milan Mrkusich which was last exhibited in 1972.

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