Yahoo Finance Pictures: An old truck Bansky graffitied on is set to auction for $2.7 million
It seems anything the elusive artist Banksy touches turns to gold, if this old circus truck is anything to go by.
An old Volvo truck – named Turbo Zone Truck (Laugh Now But One Day We'll Be In Charge) – that the anonymous British street artist graffitied on about two decades ago is expected to fetch between £1 million and £1.5 million (AU$1.82 million to AU$2.73 million) when it goes under the hammer this weekend.
“Composed at the turn of the millennia, the uniquely hand-painted 17-ton truck is a mobile testament to Banksy's longstanding, breakthrough vandalism of art's old-hat approach to painting on canvas and paintings in galleries,” states the Bonhams auction listing.
The spray paint artwork features what are now classic symbols of Banksy’s work, such as winged monkeys, SWAT teams and short lyrics.
At 80 square metres, the truck mural is Banksy’s largest-ever work, according to Bonhams.
“Taking the vehicle of the laborer, the workman and the blue-collar employee as his blank canvas, the present motorcar and work of art revels in Banksy's raw and unfiltered wit; a masterclass of the artist's satirical humour and impressive dexterity with spray-paint.”
Banksy was invited to paint the Volvo lorry at a turn-of-the-millennium party in 2000. The artist spray-painted the truck on stage at the party and then completed it over the next two weeks.
The truck went on to tour Europe and South America with the Turbozone Circus, well-known for their pyrotechnics, the listing states.
“In a field dominated by tags and trademarks, the symbols of Banksy's practice are fundamental to his formal vocabulary, making this, the earliest iteration of some of these central themes, a truly significant motorcar and work of art.”
The truck will be auctioned by Bonhams on 14 September at 11am BST.
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