Known as London's Banksy Gallery, Andipa have led the Banksy secondary market for over 20 years. Since he first exploded onto the graffiti scene in Bristol around the early 2000s, Banksy’s work has taken over city streets, buildings, the London Underground and gallery walls across the globe. Each of his street art works have their own unique story and - despite many of them having been vandalised, cut out or covered up - their impact on the street art movement cannot be understated.
Girl with Balloon
Girl with Balloon is arguably Banksy’s most important and recognisable work. Available in print and in painting for, the work first appeared as a series of murals across London around 2002. Girl with Balloon appeared across a number of locations including, the best known example, Waterloo Bridge and Shoreditch. The iconic work appeared with the message “There is always hope” symbolising the powerful yet simple work.
In the work we see a young girl, hand outstretched towards a red heart-shaped balloon that is moving away from her. Simple and powerful, it is instantly recognisable the world over. Indeed, Banksy has repurposed the image several times throughout his career to support his social campaigns including in 2005 on the West Bank Barrier, in 2014 about the Syrian Refugee crises and, in the same year, he produced a version about the UK election.
Mild Mild West
An early street art mural, Mild Mild West is a hand-sprayed mural in Bristol which, unlike many of Banksy’s other street works, can still be viewed. Banksy created the artwork across three days in broad daylight in 1998. ACcording to reports, the work was created as a response to the police’s response to various unlicensed raves and parties held in abandoned warehouses around Bristol in the 1990s. One of the major influences in the famous Banksy work was said to be an event that took place in Winterstoke Road, New Years Eve 97/98 where riot police began to attack ravers. The work, now over 23 years old, is a central part of Bristol culture and shows the importance of protest, is anti-establishment and shows a disdain and distrust for authority - all themes that Banksy has returned to in various guises across his career. The work has been placed under acrylic perspex by Bristol City Council in order to preserve local culture following, in April 2009, the mural being canalised by an anti-graffiti organisation called Appropriate Media,
Very Little Helps
Very Little Helps first appeared as a mural street art work by Banksy that he created on the side of a pharmacy on Essex Road in North London. Released in 2008 as an edition of 299, the print shows three children standing around a flagpole. One of the children is raising not a flag but a Tesco plastic bag whilst the other two watch on and pledge allegiance by placing their hands across their hearts.
The blue, calming background of the piece is punctuated with the absurdist scene as Banksy calls into question both the commodification and corporatisation of modern Britain. The title of the piece itself is a reference to Tesco’s (the biggest supermarket in the UK at the time) slogan “Every Little Helps”. Does every little help? It appears not. Banksy, in his typical irreverent style, pokes fun and mocks the giant corporation and, whilst it could be found across the country, the print makes the viewer wonder what the price we must pay is. Yes, there is a certain ease in terms of our shopping, but we have become a monolithic nation at the behest of corporations and have lost our identity in the process
Shop Till You Drop - also Known as Falling Shopper
Appearing on the side of an office building in the West end, the mural was painted originally in November 2011 in broad daylight. Scaffolding and taupauling were erected to cover the scene to ensure that Banksy was not caught in the act.
Also known as the Falling Shopper, this Banksy mural is located on Bruton Lane on the side of a large office building in the heart of the commercial West End district.
The work, a scintillating critique of consumerism, was painted in the heart of London#s premier shopping district and depicts a shopper falling out of a window, dragged by a trolley as her purchases fly past her.
'Designated Graffiti Area' - Clerkenwell
Employing his classic tongue-in-cheek style, Banksy challenges the norms surrounding street art legality and acceptance. This piece presents a faux-official sign declaring the space a "Designated Graffiti Area", surrounded by an assortment of colourful tags. Is it a nod to the ever-present tension between street artists and the authorities? Or perhaps a playful jab at how society picks and chooses what to deem 'acceptable' art?
While many of Banksy's pieces in London have unfortunately been removed, painted over, or vandalised, their messages continue to resonate. Banksy's ability to meld humour, political critique, and striking visuals has solidified his status as one of the most influential street artists of our time. If you find yourself in London, it's worth taking a street art tour or simply wandering the streets to see if you can spot remnants of these iconic murals or perhaps discover new ones.
Discover our selection of Banksy art for sale or explore our Banksy prints, all works are available to view at Andipa in person or via live video call. For more information and to contact our gallery, call +44 (0)20 7581 1244 or email sales@andipa.com.