Bomb Middle England
Unsigned Print

In 2007, Bombing Middle England, the original piece of acrylic and spray paint on canvas, fetched £102,000 at Sotheby's. Finding a signed edition of this artwork is extraordinarily difficult and the demand for these is very high. Bomb Middle England depicts three middle-aged ladies playing a game of boules, the lawn is bright green and is the only colour featured in this screen print. With the ladies on the far left and their boules, which are in fact, lit fuse bombs on the far right. The subversive message of Bomb Middle England, as with all Banksy pieces, is up for debate; perhaps it is a critique of the predictable structure that seems to define English middle-class culture. It could also be read as a critical comment on the UK elite, or wealthier members of society, who are shielded from the harsh realities of war, destruction or poverty. Banksy is outspoken against the military-industrialist complex and war as profit in his artworks, such as in other powerful screen prints like Bomb Hugger, Happy Choppers and Have a Nice Day.