Banksy
"Bomb Hugger (No), 2003.
Spray paint on cardboard.
Presents marks of having been attached to wood strips.
Attached original letter of provenance.
Measurements: 84 x 54,5 cm.
Open live auction
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BID HISTORY
DESCRIPTION
BANKSY (Bristol, England, 1975).
"Bomb Hugger (No), 2003.
Spray paint on cardboard.
Presents marks of having been attached to wood strips.
Attached original letter of provenance.
Measurements: 84 x 54,5 cm.
Attached letter of provenance, who attended the demonstration in 2003. These cardboards were delivered at the beginning of the march.
Banksy created a series of different cardboards for the Protest March against the Iraq War in London on February 15, 2003, which were distributed at the beginning of the March creating a viral presence. Few originals have survived as they were abandoned in the street or confiscated by the Metropolitan police. Banksy skillfully captured the anti-war sentiment in this image, being already iconic. The artist quoted about his street art: "The canvases, the prints, all the "proper art" I've done doesn't matter. Only the street work will live on." Banksy / Cut & Run 25 years card labour, Catalogue for Banksy's exhibition at the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Ar (GoMA) in 2023.
Bomb Love, also known as Bomb Hugger, depicts a girl hugging a bomb as if it were a stuffed animal. This striking stencil contrasts the innocence and purity of the smiling girl with the violence and destruction caused by the bombs. This image also provokes anxiety, as the deadly weapon she holds could explode at any moment. This work illustrates modern society's penchant for war, which encourages large corporations to manufacture and sell bombs by the millions as if they were toys. Bomb Love is also a clear salute to the power of love, which can prevail over war and violence: perhaps this little girl could disarm a bomb with her loving embrace.
Banksy, the British artist whose identity is still unknown, is considered one of the leading exponents of contemporary Street Art. According to a study by Queen Mary University of London published in March 2016, Robin Gunningham, a resident of Bristol, would be the artist behind the Banksy pseudonym. His works address universal themes such as politics, culture or ethics treated mostly from a satirical and ironic point of view by combining graffiti writing with the use of stencil stencils. This technique is similar to that used by Blek le Rat, who began working with stencils in 1981 in Paris. In fact, Banksy acknowledged Blek's influence by stating that "every time I think I've painted something slightly original, I realize that Blek le Rat did it better, only twenty years earlier."
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