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Banksy’s most spectacular painting to date is on display at Sotheby’s Bond St, London HQ and beautifully staged it is too.

Devolved Parliament is being auction this week when London opens its galleries, museums and park tents to an international art fair. This painting first appeared in public in 2009 when with staggering panache and secrecy, traditionally mutually exclusive features, Banksy took over the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery for his largest show. The show was brilliant, our fanboy tribute/review appeared on the Graffoto blog here.

Banksy, Sothebys, Devolved Parliament, Question TIme, painting, street art, tour, Bristol Museaum and Art Gallery

Banksy v Bristol Museum and Art Gallery 2009

This painting was at that time called “Question Time” and it was a nightmare to view and photograph with the lighting and the crowds.

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Banksy Question Time (photo 2009)

This time the lighting is awesome and the staging is superb with it set up to look like the House of Commons benches extend into the room, I am sure there will be lots of selfies coming out of that space this weekend.

Banksy Devolved Parliament (photo 2019)

The painting is being hyped up to set a new Banksy record. The last time the hyperbole reached such feverish levels was exactly year ago in, guess where, Sothebys! It was that infamous Girl With Ballon/Love Is In The Bin shredding stunt. Remind yourself of that moment that made Banksy the best known living contemporary artist at the moment/in history/today (nuff hype).

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“Love Is In The Bin”, Banksy, 2018

This Banksy is identified in Sotheby’s catalogue quite categorically as the one that was exhibited in Bristol in 2009 but there have been a few subtle tweaks. The lights in the chamber have gone out, much like our hopes of a proper orderly outcome to the political farce currently playing out daily in this sceptic isle.

Banksy Devolved Parliament detail (photo 2019)

Also, in 2009 we had a Labour (sort of leftish) Government led by Tony Blair and in the 2009 “Question Time” on the then labour benches which are to the left as you look at those photos, there was a chimpanzee holding a tumescent banana which curved upwards. The catalogue notes that the present owner acquired this painting from the artist in 2011, by which time we had a coalition Conservative/Lib Dem (fairly “right” though nothing like as rightwing as now), Banksy had reworked that banana so that it droops, it curved downwards.

Banksy Question Time detail (photo 2009)

Banksy Devolved Parliament detail (photo 2019)

Just one more thing, the catalogue informs us that the painting comes “from an important private collection” – apart from what it says about Banksy’s direct sales client base, vague bollocks like that truly marks the art world clambering up its own self important fundament!

Viewing:

Sothebys, 34-35 New Bond St, Mayfair, London W1S 2RT

SAT, 28 SEP 19 | 12:00 PM – 05:00 PM BST

SUN, 29 SEP 19 | 12:00 PM – 05:00 PM BST

MON, 30 SEP 19 | 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM BST

TUE, 01 OCT 19 | 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM BST

WED, 02 OCT 19 | 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM BST

THU, 03 OCT 19 | 09:00 AM – 12:00 PM BST

Links:

Girl With Balloon/Love Is In The Air review on Graffoto

Banksy v. Bristol Museum and Art gallery, 2009 on Graffoto

Banksy website

All photos: Dave Stuart

Banksy shreds Girl With Balloon but not his credibility.

Two weeks ago the art world was “en fête” at London’s art week and the major auction houses held champagne swilling contemporary art auctions. There can be very few people who are not aware of the amazing stunt Banksy pulled off at Sothebys auction when his “Girl With Balloon” shredded itself at the very moment the auctioneer concluded the sale.

Going, Going, Gone! source: Banksy

The stunt is a work of genius in its production, execution (Sotheby’s involvement?) and impact Banksy of course is mocking the art world’s obsession with wealth, value and profit.

“I Can’t Believe You Morons Buy This Shit”, Banksy, 2006, source: Banksy website

Speculation and conspiracy surround this particular stunt by Banksy. Could this possibly have been fabricated in 2006 . Could this possibly really have been fabricated in 2006 in anticipation that it might appear in an auction years later? How many would Banksy have to make to ensure that the stunt could be executed in public rather than stymied by a private sale? Was it pure chance that this particular art piece would be mounted so visibly on the auction room wall rather than just wheeled in, given its 2 minutes in the sunlight on an auctioneer’s easel then trundled out again? Back in 2006 we had not yet had the first gold plated white gloved Urban Art Auctions (here), could anyone have reasonably predicted that Banksy’s art would be so lauded (i.e. expensive) as to be the highlight of an art week contemporary art auction?

Last weekend Sothebys put the so called new artwork on public display. Queuing was about 45 minutes on Sunday afternoon, the guards marshalled orderly lines of visitors, the artwork was beautifully hung to be visible from both sides, well lit, well sign posted and well controlled.

“Love Is In The Bin”, Banksy, 2018

The catalogue listing for the original “Girl With Balloon” piece described the work as “signed and dedicated on the reverse”, presumably what looks like black tape in a recess on the back is masking the dedication but there’s the signature in all its glory.

“Love Is In The Bin”, Banksy, 2018 rear view

“Love Is In The Bin”, Banksy, 2018, signature!

Here is the news! Sister blog Graffoto by same author posted last Sunday about the rumours and speculation and associated ironies and included one prophetic statement:

“Was Plan A that Girl With Balloon would shred itself to complete destruction? If it had Banksy would have highlighted the precariousness and ephemerality of the trivia to which the art world attaches its highest valuations. We won’t know ever. “

That last bit – completely wrong! Within the past hour Banksy has released an updated video – well, we won’t spoil the ending, just watch!