Preview: Julien's Auctions Street Art Auction: Banksy Murals and More : Cartwheel Art

Preview: Julien’s Auctions Street Art Auction: Banksy Murals and More

The annual Street Art Auction by Julien’s Auctions offers works produced by the most significant and collectible artists in the urban art movement and several controversial lots: Banksy murals excised from walls in Bethlehem and Detroit, the latter of which contains portions of paint showing clear fingerprints of the unidentified artist.

Banksy’s Donkey Documents, created in in Bethlehem in 2007, depicts a donkey having its identification papers checked by an armed Israeli soldier, mocking the stringent security measures enforced by the Israeli Government. The piece is part of a series of works created by Banksy along the concrete barrier dividing the Palestinian West Bank from Israel and was made to promote his holiday fundraiser exhibition, Santa’s Ghetto. The work was posted by Banksy on his own website shortly after creation. The detached mural, measuring 7 feet high by 101⁄2 feet long, is the largest and most significant intact Banksy mural in existence from his Israel visit and will be on display in London leading up to the sale. Banksy’s location choice, timing, and subject matter draw parallels with the donkey depicted in the well-known Biblical Christmas story who transported Mary into Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus. Estimates for the sale price are $400,000 to $600,000.

Also on offer, and expected to bring somewhere between $200,000 and $300,000 is one of Banksy’s most poignant examples of American street art, I Remember When All This Was Trees, a 7 feet by 7 feet four-color aerosol stencil and freehand figural work with text depicting a young boy holding a can of red paint and a brush. The boy, having just written the statement lamenting the loss of nature and deforestation, confronts the viewer directly with a deadpan expression.

The mural was fittingly executed on the wall of a derelict building at what was once the Packard automobile factory in Detroit, Michigan — now a wasteland of crumbling concrete, glass and steel, and a symbol of ongoing hardship and the negative effects of industrialization in the economically and socially mired city, though they do have murals by Shepard Fairey and Ankore, making the Motor City an attractive and affordable alternative to Brooklyn and Echo Park. Banksy created this work in 2010 just prior to the premiere of the documentary that would bring him to stardom, Exit through the Gift Shop. Fingerprints can clearly be seen on the red paint and are the only known examples of what may finally lead to the uncovering of the elusive artist’s identity. It will be interesting to see if the fingerprints drive the mural higher than estimated price, and if the purchaser will make an effort to investigate or to protect Banksy’s identity–or if law enforcement here or abroad will spend some of their budget to acquire I Remember When All This Was Trees in the hope of capturing him, like the city of Detroit did with Shepard Fairey.

Banksy’s Bomb Hugger a black and red aerosol stencil depicting a young girl hugging an aerial bomb will also be on auction. The work was sprayed onto a cardboard panel which was used as a placard during the International anti-war protests of 2003. A photograph of the owner shown holding the Banksy placard can be seen in an article about the protests published at the time in the Basingstoke Gazette. It is estimated to bring $25,000 to $30,000.

The auction, which will indicate of street art’s primacy for collectors and investors–and if the Chinese art market loves street art as much as the Downtown LA Arts District real estate that holds it–features many artists seen on the Cartwheel Art tour of the Downtown Los Angeles: Angelina Christina, Moncho 1929, Raphael Grischa, Kofie, JR, Cleon Peterson, D*Face, Sand One, Mar, Septerhed, Wild Life, and Shepard Fairey, whose large-scale wheat paste panel Johnny Rotten is estimated to bring between $10,000 and $20,000. Ben Eine, who has a mural on the Laguna Beach Cartwheel Art Tour, is also included inthe auctin as is Cartwheel Art favorite Shark Toof, Retna, Space Invader, Craola, Ben Eine, Rene Gagnon, Nick Walker, Blek le Rat, Zevs, Seen, D*Face, Ron English, 2wenty, Thrashbird, Bleep Bloop, Leba, Max Neutra, Annie Preece, Phobik, Word to Mother, Greg Gossel, Morely, Wrdsmth, Jules Muck, and works from the Conart collection.

Julien’s Auctions Street Art Auction also presents works of artists who are connected to Dark Progressivism: Julien’s is offering Prime and Big Sleeps collabs with Jeff Hamilton, and there is work by Chaz Bojórquez.

All of the art on offer will be presented in a full-color Street Art Auction catalog available for purchase online at www.juliensauctions.com

BEVERLY HILLS PUBLIC EXHIBITION
Julien’s Auctions Street Art Action
Julien’s Auctions Beverly Hills Gallery
9665 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015 – Wednesday, September 30th, 2015
Open Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Previews are free to the Public

Street Art Auction
Wednesday, September 30, 2015 Session I – 7:00 p.m. PST

Top image: Jeff Campion / Army of One Tribute. A large-scale collaborative work the creation of which spanned a five week period and included contributions from over 25 different artists all of whom signed the back side of the panel. Includes work by the following artists: Gregory Siff, SEK, Jennifer Korsen, Common Cents, FELIX, Gianni Arone, Spattah, Septerhed, XVALA, Bleep Bloop, Susan Gudstuf, Random Act, Moncho1929, SMEAR, Teacher, Leba, KHNO7, PasteyWhyte, Phobik, DogByte, War N Buffet, Cindy Love, Hero, Cyrus the Virus, Biirdie Bird, Mr. Ramano, Thrashbird, jimmyrayflynn

BANKSY
British (b. 1975)
V.I.P. RAT, 2005
Aerosol on board
40 by 32 inches

A sardonic sign created by Banksy with red and black aerosol for the 2005 Glastonbury Music Festival. Located on a chain link fence partitioning two areas, this work depicts a rat pawing a martini, both enclosed in a red circle above the words V.I.P. AREA. Banksy’s presence was well documented at the Glastonbury Festival where he created a number of original works that were displayed throughout the grounds. Accompanied by reproduction images taken during the festival showing this work installed in the original location Banksy placed it.

PROVENANCE
Glastonbury Festival, Somerset, England, 2005
Private Collection, London
Acquired from the above by the present owner

$80,000-120,000

BANKSY

British (b. 1975)
I REMEMBER WHEN ALL THIS WAS TREES, 2010
Aerosol on cinder-block wall
84 by 84 inches

One of Banksy’s most poignant examples of American street art, “I Remember When All This Was Trees” is a four-color aerosol stencil and freehand figural work with text depicting a young boy holding a brush and a can of red paint. Having just written the title statement lamenting the loss of nature and deforestation, the young boy confronts the viewer directly with a deadpan expression. The mural was fittingly executed on the wall of a derelict building at what was once the Packard automobile plant in Detroit, Michigan – now a wasteland of crumbling concrete, glass, and steel and a symbol of ongoing hardship in the economically and socially mired city.

Banksy created this work in 2010 just prior to the premiere of the documentary that would bring him to stardom, Exit through the Gift Shop (Paranoid Pictures, 2010). Fingerprints can clearly be seen on the red paint and are an intriguing clue and rarely seen personal touch from the anonymous artist. An image of this work was posted on Banksy’s web site shortly after its creation.

BANKSY
British (b. 1975)
DONKEY DOCUMENTS, 2007
Aerosol on composite stone wall
126 by 84 inches
Created in Bethlehem in 2007, Banksy’s controversial mural depicts a donkey having its identification papers checked by an armed Israeli soldier, mocking the stringent security measures enforced by the Israeli government. The piece is part of a series of works created by Banksy along the concrete barrier dividing the Palestinian West Bank from Israel and was made to promote his holiday fundraiser exhibition “Santa’s Ghetto.” The work was posted by Banksy on his own website shortly after creation.
The excised mural is the largest and most significant intact Banksy mural in existence from his visit to Israel. Banksy’s location choice, timing, and subject matter draws parallels with the donkey depicted in the Biblical Christmas story who transported Mary into Bethlehem, where she is believed to have given birth to Jesus. Indeed, just behind Banksy’s mural can be seen the cross and bell tower of the Church of the Nativity, built over the spot where Jesus is said to have been born.
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AUTHENTICATION
Lot includes original agreement between Bethlehem building owners and present owner
PROVENANCE
Bethlehem, Palestine
Acquired from the above by present owner
NOTE
Artwork ships from London

BANKSY

British (b. 1975)
FLYING COPPER, 2004
Limited edition silkscreen
47 by 35 3/4 inches, framed
Numbered 567 of 600 to the lower right.

AUTHENTICATION
Includes certificate of authenticity from Pest Control

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Los Angeles, California

SHEPARD FAIREY
JOHNNY ROTTEN
Wheatpaste on plywood
96 by 48 inches

Reportedly executed on a construction site wall on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California, during an outing with friend and fellow street art icon Blek le Rat. A photograph of the work shown before removal together with an additional work by Blek le Rat, featured subsequently as lot 81 in this catalog, was published by KCET in conjunction with an interview with Blek le Rat (link to article and image). Shepard Fairey acknowledges on his web site “bombing” with Blek le Rat on Sunset near Guitar center.

PROVENANCE
Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California
Private Collection, Los Angeles, California
Acquired from the above by present owner

SPACE INVADER-
PA-689, 2006
Ceramic tile mosaic mounted on acrylic base in four panels
Approximately 173 by 8 inches

Executed by Invader along an exterior at Place de Belleville in the 19th district of Paris in 2006. The work was the longest Space Invader frieze ever made and remained in public for six years. The anonymous artist himself is quoted on the process of creating this specific work, “I had spotted this long low [wall] on Place de Belleville, a perfect support for a large-scale frieze… I went out three nights in a row to install it. When I came across the place by day, to photograph it, I noticed that this low wall was a real den of down and outs… As a result the mosaic soon got a patina from drips and ill treatment. I even saw it being used to open bottles of beer.”
The conserved piece is composed of 1,760 individual tiles depicting twenty invader figures specially mounted on four acrylic panels. Accompanied by a copy of the Invader’s own book cited below featuring the artwork and custom built wooden carrying cases for the mosaic panels.

PROVENANCE
Place de Belleville, Paris, France
Acquired from the above by the present owner
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LITERATURE
L’Invasion de Paris : Livre 02 – Proliferation (Europe, Control P, 2012), pp. 32 and 155

RETNA
POSA
Acrylic on digital print
75 and 1/2 by 57 1/2 inches, framed

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Las Vegas, Nevada

Additional preview images of artists connected to Cartwheel Art through Dark Progressivism or Cartwheel Art Tours in Downtown Los Angeles Arts District and Laguna Beach: