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Petrolhead - Mixed Media by Banksy 2003 - MyArtBroker

Petrolhead
Mixed Media

Banksy

Price data unavailable

AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.

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Medium: Mixed Media

Edition size: 25

Year: 2003

Size: H 31cm x W 31cm

Signed: No

Format: Mixed Media

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Banksy's Petrolhead, created in 2003, is a mixed media artwork with an estimated value between £340,000 and £520,000. This artwork is rare to the market and has an auction history of one sale on 14th October 2011. There have been no sales in the last 12 months or in the last five years. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 25.

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Auction Results

Auction DateAuction HouseLocation
Hammer Price
Return to Seller
Buyer Paid
October 2011Sotheby's Online United Kingdom

Meaning & Analysis

In this image Banksy depicts a stick figure holding the nozzle of a petrol pump to his head. The image suggests the figure is killing himself using the petrol gun. The title of the work references the nickname given to an individual who is passionate about cars to the point of obsession, preferring motor vehicles above all other forms of transport.

Banksy’s artwork links a love of cars to a metaphorical gun to the head due to the connection between fossil fuels and the climate crisis and the disastrous impact society’s overuse of cars is having on the environment.

Petrolhead was first made available at Banksy’s Santa Ghetto pop-up on London’s Oxford Street in December 2003. Along with prints and paintings by Banksy, the shop also sold works by Jamie Hewlett, Faile, Massive Attack's 3D and other street artists – with prices starting at as little as £40. On the Ghetto, Banksy sardonically commented: “The Ghetto is partly a shameless commercial enterprise, and partly about promoting art. But basically it is a piss-take on Christmas.” Just as the anonymous street artist said that his Love Rat screen print would make an “ideal [gift] for a cheating spouse”, Petrolhead could similarly be the perfect gift for a climate change sceptic.

  • Renowned British street artist, Banksy, is the enigmatic figure behind some of the most subversive works in the Urban Art scene. Despite his anonymity, the artists' disruptive stunts have not only gained him notoriety, but they have vocalised his stance on many social and political issues. As seen with the likes of Girl With Balloon and Napalm, Banksy uses his distinctive stencil technique to produce thought-provoking commentaries on challenging themes. The showcase of rebellion that lines his work has caused his secondary market value to soar in recent years, propelling him to the top of the Urban Art scene.