Banksy
"Pulp Fiction" original and unique screen print exposures.
2002

About the Item

In 2002, the street artist Banksy stenciled a graffiti work depicting an iconic scene from the 1994 film Pulp Fiction in the Old Street subway station in London. The image featured the actors John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson in the starring roles from the film, with their guns pointed at a figure offscreen. In his version, Banksy replaced the guns with bananas. The work was painted over in 2007 by transportation authorities in London, who believed the image may promote crime. However, since much of Banksy’s work seeks to expose the wastefulness and stupidity of violence, it is unlikely that this was the artist’s intention. While the original Pulp Fiction lies somewhere beneath a layer of paint in London, collectors can still find screenprints of this iconic work on the market today. These are the original print exposures in two sheets. Exhibited worldwide. Exhibitions The film screens Nick had kept were purchased directly from him in 2014 along with various rare test prints, stickers and APs. Since then the screens have been shown in various shows, museums and galleries around the world including: Palazzo Cipolla, Andipa, Rome 2016 - War Capitalism & Liberty. Curated by Andipa Gallery. *Las Vegas 2019 "“Genius or Vandal?” *Madrid 2020 Banksy "Genius or Vandal?” *Japan 2020 Banksy "Genius or Vandal?" Literature BANKSY. Rizzoli 2021. Stefano Antonelli & Gianluca Marziani. Pages 226-227 - full spread.

Creator:
Banksy
Creation Year:
2002
Dimensions:
Height: 19.69 in (50 cm)Width: 27.96 in (71 cm)
Medium:
Screen
Movement & Style:
Street Art
Period:
2000-2009
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Helsingør, DK
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2578212610982
View Invoice

Shop All Banksy

Banksy

Of the numerous feats that Banksy has accomplished over the course of his career as an international artist, activist and filmmaker, perhaps the most astonishing is that while he is among the most famous figures in street art, he has managed to remain completely anonymous.

There is a method behind the madness, however. Banksy maintains that he chooses to conceal his identity to make a more democratic impact with his work, the themes of which include criticism of world leaders, consumerism and terrorism.

Although not much is known about Banksy — he sent a photo of himself with a paper bag on his head to Time magazine for a profile — it is believed that he was born in the city of Bristol, in southwest England, circa 1974. Wit, irreverence, dark humor and activism come together in his work, which spans graffiti, paintings, prints, sculptures and filmmaking. (His film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, which focuses on another street artist known as Mr. Brainwash, was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2010 Academy Awards.)

Banksy began as a graffiti artist in his hometown in the early 1990s. He has found fame for his stenciled and spray-painted pieces, which are most often rooted in anti-war or antiestablishment messaging, appearing in cities such as London, New York and Los Angeles and for his “stunts” that are intended to subvert and provoke the art world. One particularly memorable stunt took place in 2018, when, as soon as one of his paintings sold at auction — Girl with a Balloon, which fetched an extraordinary $1.4 million — it self-destructed and proceeded to partially shred itself. Banksy even snuck into the Louvre and hung his own version of the Mona Lisa in 2006. Despite his elusive persona and commitment to bringing art to the masses, Banksy is one of the most coveted artists at auctions across the world.

And his work is undeniably impactful.

At a record-breaking auction organized by Damien Hirst, Bono and others to benefit AIDS charities in 2008, Banksy’s Keep It Spotless — a modified Hirst painting — fetched nearly $2 million. In May of 2020, Banksy donated Game Changer, a painting that honors UK healthcare workers, to Southampton General Hospital. When it went to auction in 2021, it sold for more than $23 million at Christie's in London. All proceeds went to the National Health Service.

Find original Banksy art for sale on 1stDibs.