5 days ago
Banksy collector from south Essex to part with three original works at auction
AN Essex art dealer has decided to part with three original works by street artist Banksy at auction - which are now set to fetch over £1 million.
The trio of artworks - including two pieces which were saved from destruction - are being sold by Banksy collector John Brandler.
Mr Brandler, who owns the Brandler Galleries in Brentwood, currently boasts 13 Banksy pieces in his £25 million collection.
DJ on a Cloud (1999) - One of Banksy's earliest known wall paintings, created during a two-week commission in the hallway of a shop (Image: Hansons Auctioneers / SWNS)
But he has now decided to sell three pieces by the elusive street artist, which will go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers, in Etwall, Derbys.
Among them is DJ on a Cloud from 1999, a rare early piece which was rescued from being thrown out when a shop in Bath was being cleared.
It is one of Banksy's earliest known wall paintings and is expected to fetch between £350,000–£450,000 when it is sold on June 13.
Another called Two Rats with Saw from 2003, which was also spared from the scrap heap before it was recovered and preserved, could fetch £145,000–£165,000.
Both pieces have since gone on to tour the world and will are being offered for public sale for the first time in the "landmark" auction.
Two Rats with Saw (2003) - Featuring Banksy's iconic rats, this subversive piece was also at risk of being lost before being recovered and preserved (Image: Hansons Auctioneers / SWNS)
The third piece Family Target is also from 2003 and shows a family in the crosshairs of a sniper's rifle. It is also set to fetch £350,000–£450,000.
Mr Brandler also famously owns Seasons Greetings, the only known Banksy artwork to have inspired a full-length play: Port Talbot Gotta Banksy.
He said: 'Banksy is the only artist I know of whose single painting inspired a stage production.
'It shows the cultural weight his work carries - and these three pieces are no exception.
"They very nearly disappeared forever. Instead, they're now part of modern art history.'
DJ on a Cloud was created during a two-week commission in the hallway of a shop on Walcot Street, Bath.
This now-iconic work was moments away from being discarded before it was salvaged from a door panel just before being dumped.
Family Target is a spray paint on canvas work said to depict Banksy's "signature themes of family, violence and social critique."
Two Rats with Saw was left behind in an office when Banksy parted ways with his first business partner Jon Swinstead
All three pieces boast "exceptional exhibition history" having featured in major global exhibitions from Rome and Palermo to New York's Bowery and Broadway between 2019 and 2023.
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: 'These are more than artworks - they are survivors, cultural landmarks, and provocations all rolled into one.
"We're proud to be offering them to a global audience.
"Banksy's work continues to hold a mirror up to society in a way that's both playful and powerful - and collectors have responded to that message in extraordinary ways.'
Banksy, born in 1974, is the anonymous British artist and political activist known for his stencil-based street art.
Often laced with satire and social commentary, his work has appeared on buildings, bridges and public spaces worldwide - sparking debate and reshaping the art world.
The works will be sold as part of Hansons 20th Century, Modern Art & Design Auction on June 13 with bidding available worldwide online and in person.
