Banksy

Lazarides Gallery, London
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is slightly brighter and more vibrant in the original. The catalogue illustration fails to fully convey the sparkling glitter on the central figure of the composition apparent in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is extremely light wear to all four corner tips and in a few places along the outer edges. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultra-violet light.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Executed during an early and highly formative period for the artist, Banksy’s Sid Vicious consists of the multiple portrait of the subject. A consummate portrayal of one iconic bad-boy of British urban subculture by another, Sidamusingly amalgamates Post-Modern artistic trends with the urban graffiti art for which Banksy is best known.

Banksy remained faithful to his urban art origins in this work using the street artist's stencil to duplicate the central image. This multiplication is deliberately evocative of the work of Andy Warhol, whose repeated portraits of world-famous celebrities from Jackie Kennedy to Elvis Presley initiated the global phenomenon that was Pop Art and has continued to influence global visual culture ever since. The three-by-three compositional arrangement of nine heads directly recalls Warhol's 'Mao' and 'Marilyn' reversal series in which nine representations appeared in a similar grid format.

The infamous bass guitarist and vocalist of the Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious embodied the Punk subculture of his age. Characterised by its anti-establishment views and concern for individual freedom, Punk was an aggressively modern expression of freedom that opposed the desensitised apathy of mass-produced popular music and culture. In the present work, Banksy brilliantly re-presents the literal personification of Punk in Warhol's instantly recognisable dialect of Pop Art. The resolute individuality that is at the heart of the Punk ethos is perfectly satirised by the multiplication of such an iconic figure of the movement. Banksy’s homage to Warhol, exchanging the diamond dust which Warhol added to further the glamour and glitzy celebrity status of his subjects with glitter from a pound shop, highlights the fine line between what is real and what is unreal in the celebrity world. At the same time, however, Banksy's ultimate belief in individuality and freedom of expression resolutely prevails.