June 23, 2016
BANKSY SWAT VAN
The Banksy Swat Van is about to hit the open market. Banksy may fetch as much as $440,000 when it sells at Bonhams in London. The piece was only displayed publicly once, at Banksy’s The Elephant in the Room show in LA that helped propel him from underground artist to household name. Featuring random graffiti tags as well as some of Banksy’s signature stencil work.
The boxy van in a menacing shade of blue retains its stark metal interior. It has a sign saying “How’s my bombing?” rather than “How’s my driving?”
On one side, the vehicle has a large image of gun-toting officers in riot gear, who are about to be surprised from behind by a young boy clutching a blown-up paper bag. On the offside panel, there is an image of an innocent Judy Garland from the movie “The Wizard of Oz,” smothered in a rash of graffiti tags.
