On Wednesday, Bonhams London auctioned a collection of 30 prints, two sculptures, and a stencil on canvas belonging to Banksy’s first gallerist and agent Steve Lazarides. Thirty of the 33 artworks were sold, reaching a combined sales total of $691,113. Most lots achieved prices above their high estimates.
The top seller was the stencil on canvas Precision Bombing (2000) which sold for £40,000 ($60,000), £10,000 above its high estimate. The screen print and spray paint on card Rude Copper (2002) sold for £32,500 ($49,381), and the screen print on paper Laugh Now (2004) sold for £20,000 ($30,388). On the other end of the scale the screen print on paper Silver Flag (2006) sold for a very affordable £3,500 ($5,317).
The auctions high results were reportedly driven by the important provenance of the Lazarides collection. Lazarides has been widely credited not only for the success of Banksy, but also for spearheading the growth of the street art movement in recent years.
Banksy’s works continue to be very popular at auction. According to the artnet Price Database, in the past 10 years, artworks by the elusive street artist have hit the auction block 1,293 times. And Wednesday’s results show that, despite the fact that the artist continues to divide opinion among critics, his work remains very popular with collectors.