A Christie’s Expert on Collecting Banksy’s Street Art

In July 2019, the anonymous graffiti artist beat Leonardo da Vinci and Claude Monet to be crowned Britain’s favorite artist of all time, according to a poll by YouGov for Homes & Antiques magazine. Although his identity is a secret, Banksy’s stencils are some of the most recognizable works of contemporary art. He first “bombed” (sprayed) the walls of Bristol in South West England in the early 1990s, but his fame grew when he moved to London in the early 2000s. He has since left his mark on cities around the world, from Los Angeles to Barcelona.

Today Banksy’s most iconic images fetch the highest prices and his most sought-after editions, canvases, and sculptures are often directly inspired by his graffiti art. Girl with Balloon, for example, was originally a series of stenciled murals first sprayed in London in 2002. While the screenprinted version with the red balloon is the most recognizable, there are other variations in gold, purple, blue, and pink, although these are extremely rare.

Related: Discover the Art of Street Photography

One of these artist’s proofs with a gold balloon led our “Banksy: I can’t believe you morons actually buy this sh*t” sale this September and realized £395,250/$517,777. The online auction raised £1,122,750/$1,470,802 in total (including buyer’s premium).

Works featuring rats and chimps are also highly sought after. There are many variations of the Placard Rat series, with different slogans. Banksy’s unique pieces can command high prices: by the late 2000s, the art world had caught up with his popular appeal, and many of his public graffiti works began to be protected instead of being painted over or cleaned away by local councils.

His screenprints often come in both unsigned and signed editions. Unsigned and signed artworks are equally legitimate—a certificate from Pest Control, Banksy’s “handling service,” is the proof of authenticity that you need. Banksy set up Pest Control in 2008 to authenticate his artworks and prevent fakes from circulating on the market.

Related: How to Sell Your Art at Auction

The service can retroactively issue certificates for works created before 2008. Pest Control is now the only channel through which you can buy new primary market works by the artist. However, as there is currently nothing available, the artist is only trading on the secondary market through auctions and galleries. When buying in this market our specialists advise dealing with a trusted source such as a big auction house or a reputable dealer. All Banksy artworks offered at Christie’s come with Pest Control certificates.

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Look after your Banksy, and it will look after you. Although Banksy’s street art is weathered, most of his commercial works are issued in pristine condition—be it on paper, canvas, cardboard, or stenciled on a wooden box. Care for them as you would any other artwork: hang canvases and prints away from direct sunlight and changing humidity. Works on paper should be framed beneath UV-protective glass. It’s just as important to look after the Pest Control certificate: you will need it if you decide to sell your work.