Precision Bombing, left, and Winnie the Pooh by Banksy, on sale at Bonham’s Urban Art sale in Los Angeles later this year
World-famous art auctioneers Bonhams are calling on Bristolians who may have original Banksy artworks to get in touch for a free valuation, in advance of their first Urban Art sale in California later this year.
A selection of works by the Bristol graffiti artist will go under the hammer on October 29 in Los Angeles. Among the works on sale are Precision Bombing, estimated at $35,000–45,000 (around £22,400-28,800), and Winnie the Pooh, estimated at $50,000–80,000 (around £32,000-51,000).
Ahead of the sale, a number of works by Banksy, including Precision Bombing, have been newly discovered in the Bristol area, where the artist spent much of his youth. Now, the auctioneers will be visiting the city to search for more lost gems.
Alan Montgomery, urban art specialist at Bonhams, said: “The market for Banksy is flourishing. It is very encouraging to see people coming forward with extraordinary pieces that have been in their collection since his early exhibitions in Bristol. This area has a fantastic wealth of the artist’s works which collectors bought for relatively low amounts of money in the early days of his career, but which now fetch incredible prices at auction.
“We are noticing a growing international following for urban art and especially for works by Banksy, with a number of big-name Hollywood collectors. Los Angeles is fast becoming a hub for urban art, with The Museum of Contemporary Art’s exhibition Art in the Streets held in Los Angeles last year. This is an exciting time for us to launch our first-ever Los Angeles Urban Art sale and we are expecting significant interest from across the globe.”
Bonhams Urban Art specialists Alan Montgomery and Gareth Williams will be visiting the local area to search for further Banksy works.
So, if you think you have an early Banksy original, contact Alan Montgomery on 020 7468 5878 or alan.montgomery@bonhams.comor, or Gareth Williams on 020 7468 5879 or gareth.williams@bonhams.com
