Deceptively simple, the artwork features a young girl reaching out to a balloon. As with many of the elusive artist’s pieces it communicates a raw and powerful message that belies the simple imagery. First appearing as street murals across London in 2002, the work famously was graffitied in Waterloo Bridge with the caption “there is always hope” amongst other locations in the city.
Just after the spray-painted artwork of a girl holding a balloon sold for about £1 million ($1.4 million) an alarm went off during the auction and the work slowly began to fall through a shredder hidden inside the frame.
If the upcoming sale achieves its high estimate, the painting will have appreciated nearly 500% in almost three years.
And while other works by Banksy have sold for more—a record of £16 million was set in March at Christie’s with an oil painting of a child playing with a nurse doll—the painting carries the highest pre-sale estimate ever placed on his pieces.
A piece of art history, Love is in the Bin perfectly summises an artist in their ascendancy whose brilliance (both conceptually and in its execution), innovative and revolutionary approach to his craft captures the imagination in an unparalleled way.
Girl with Balloon Paintings
For over 15 years, the hallowed image has passed through our Knightsbridge townhouse. Other equally desirable versions include both Girl with Balloon single canvas and Girl with Balloon double canvas. These hand-sprayed works are often seen to be the crown jewels for many Banksy collectors and are often requested by clients of Andipa. Part of our collection, the superb Girl with Balloon Gold AP print is also available and famously became the most expensive of all Banksy signed prints passing the 1m GBP mark at auction last year.
What the upcoming auction does show is that the insatiable thirst for the work of Banksy shows no sign of slowing down. Banksy original paintings and artworks, of which our gallery is well known, represent an opportunity to acquire work by the artist of our generation. His ideas, execution and style are unparalleled within not only street art but the wider artworld. As we expectantly wait for the upcoming auction, the excitement and joy that Banksy’s art continues to provide to collectors around the world is simply a joy to behold.
For more information about our available Banksy original artworks and Banksy prints for sale, contact our gallery via sales@andipa.com or on +44 (0)20 7581 1244.