11th Jun, 2021 14:00

Urban & Contemporary Art

 
  Lot 690 §
 

BANKSY (BRITISH B. 1974)

BANKSY (BRITISH B. 1974)
Grannies
2006
signed and dated Banksy '06 (lower right); numbered (lower left)
edition of 150
screenprint
58 x 76 cm
unframed
ARR
together with COA (Pest Control)

Provenance:
Maddox Fine Art, Mayfair, where purchased by the present owner in 2020

Grannies was first displayed as painting at Banksy’s Barely Legal exhibition, which took place in a warehouse in LA, 2006. In 2007, Banksy’s UK-based printer Pictures on Walls released just 150 Grannies signed prints, 600 unsigned prints, as well a hand-finished signed print edition of 11.

Banksy shows two ‘grannies’ seated and focused on their task of knitting jumpers. The two elderly characters are emblazoning unexpected slogans on the jumpers: “Punks Not Dead”, and “Thug For Life”. This subtle act of rebellion not only has a humorous element but could suggest something more poignant. Perhaps this is to remind viewer not to underestimate the relatively innocuous appearance of the older generation, which acts as a guise for their rebellious pasts. It could also be read as Banksy encouraging the older generation to pass down their acts of defiance to future generations, in a similar way in which they would gift knitted jumpers to their grandchildren. However, the work could also be interpreted as representing the gentrification of counter-culture into a tame, mainstream movement suitable even for grannies.


 

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