Banksy 2011 [VERY RARE - 2011 LIMITED EDITION MULTIPLE OF ONLY 100 BOXED PORTFOLIOS: 6 BANKSY REPRODUCTIONS WITH BOOKLET & DVD]
Keszler Gallery, 2011. First Edition, First Printing. Loose Sheets. Keszler Gallery, 2011. First Edition, First Printing. Limited Edition of only 100 individually numbered copies (of which this is #13/100). A rare complete set offering a mini exhibition of the now infamous Keszler Gallery, Banksy exhibit. A heavy cardboard pictorial box with magnetic enclosure houses 8 loose, heavy-card sheets, each measuring 10" x 10", depicting 6 different beautiful reproductions of Banksy's artworks (with one image, "Laugh Now, But One Day We'll Be in Charge", fashioned as a triptych measuring 10" x 30"). Each reproduction has the title, size of the original artwork, place, date and description of original materials used by Banksy. The set aso includes a 16 page booklet describing the process of extracting and transferring huge pieces of wall with Banksy's works, and a DVD video documenting the original site of the works in Palestine. A very scarce and highly desirable limited edition of only 100 easily-frameable Banksy limited-edition multiples. CONDITION: Fine (the set). Rare.
At the beginning of September 2011 one of the most sensational art exhibitions in recent history was held at The Keszler Gallery, placing it at the "eye of the storm" for its decision to hold an unauthorized exhibition of Banksy's works by choosing to "transplant" some of Banksy's street art directly from Palestinian land: taking these works from their original sites, packing them and transporting them to the United States for the exhibition and sale. The supporters of Banksy's work and Banksy himself – through his Pest Control representatives – immediately saw this as a desecration to the very idea of the works themselves, designed and built to be outdoors, usable by everyone and solely intended for public enjoyment. And herein lies the controversy at the center of the exhibition: on the one hand the artist, Banksy, seeks to walk a delicate line by inhabiting and monetizing the art market ecosystem - all the while simultaneoulsy preying upon that very same ecosystem in an attempt to question and undermine its economic foundations; and on the other hand, the Keszler Gallery, seeking to harness and utilize an artist's art, celebrity and fame in an effort to meet the needs of collectors who, captivated by Banksy's work and success, seek out his art, hoping to purchase and own it, thereby permitting the gallery - and the ecosystem it inhabits - to survive. This limited edition publication - itself a mini exhibition in it's own right - serves as an enduring testament to this continuing struggle between the artist, Banksy, his fans/collectors, the galleries that serve them, and the economic tensions within which they must all coexist. Fine. Item #5088
Price: $8,000.00