Still time to show an interest in Banksy work expected to fetch thousands at Newcastle auction
The countdown is on to the day when a rare Banksy screenprint goes up for auction in Newcastle.
The chance to own the work is coming up at auctioneers Anderson and Garland who will host the sale of the screenprint called Morons by the world-renowned street artist, on Thursday, May 29.
‘A rare, culturally significant, and ironic, screenprint’
It will feature in the company’s forthcoming Modern Art and Design Auction.
Experts described the piece as ‘a rare, culturally significant, and ironic, screenprint’.
It is estimated at £12,000 to £18,000 and is a ‘wry commentary on the art market itself.’
The work is to be sold with provenance and a certificate of authenticity from Banksy’s ‘Pest Control’.
‘A crowded auction room in which a painting is being fervently bid upon’
Originally released in 2006 as part of Banksy’s now-legendary Barely Legal exhibition in Los Angeles, Morons quickly cemented itself as one of his most iconic and ironic works. The limited-edition artwork features a crowded auction room in which a painting is being fervently bid upon.
The print draws its inspiration from the 1987 record-breaking sale of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at Christie’s in London, which achieved £22.5 million (equivalent to over £54 million today).
Ironically, the artist would go on to challenge similar auction records himself, including the £16.8 million sale of his Game Changer in 2021, with proceeds donated to the NHS.
Find out more about the auction
Anderson and Garland’s association with Banksy is well established. In 2021, the firm achieved a landmark result with the sale of The Merrivale Stable, which realised over £1 million.
More recently, the auction house presented a unique and intimate collection of works and personal items consigned by a former partner of the elusive artist.
These included hand-drawn birthday cards and a hand-painted shop sign, with one birthday card alone fetching nearly £30,000.
The central figure depicted in Morons is widely believed to be Charles Hindlip, the auctioneer who presided over the historic 1987 Van Gogh sale.
Hindlip himself once owned a signed monochrome edition of Morons, which went on to sell for £71,500 in 2021; far exceeding its estimate of £10,000 to £15,000.
Anderson and Garland will hold a viewing of the auction exhibits on Tuesday, May 27, from 10am-3pm. The auction itself will start at 10am on Thursday, May 29.
To find out more, visit www.andersonandgarland.com