Art News: From The Art Market People 9th - 15th September 2024
Girl With Balloon © Banksy 2004
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This week’s art news brings a diverse array of stories from the art world, from the great Banksy print heist to David Hockney's backing of a nationwide drawing initiative. Highlights also include the discovery of a 500-year-old Dürer print in an unexpected place and a captivating exhibition that pairs works from street art legends Banksy and Basquiat at the Smithsonian. Read on for a comprehensive review of the key events shaping the art world and market between 9th and 15th September 2024.
The art market never rests, and this past week has been no exception. A series of high-profile events have sparked conversation across the global art community, with headlines ranging from art theft to new exhibitions and unexpected auction listings. Two men face charges for the theft of a Banksy print, an Albrecht Dürer work discovered at a rubbish dump heads to auction, and David Hockney continues to inspire with a large-scale drawing project aimed at capturing everyday life. Explore the stories shaping this week in the art world:
Two men charged after stealing Banksy's Girl With Balloon from a London Gallery
After a burglary at Grove Gallery on New Cavendish Street, an investigation was launched into the theft of Banksy's most famous artwork, Girl With Balloon. The gallery, who were hosting an exhibition of Banksy's works inspired by his recent ‘breakout’ of London Zoo, was broken into on Sunday 8th September. CCTV footage reveals the two thieves smashing down the glass gallery door and stealing the framed artwork from the wall of the gallery. Many news outlets have wrongly labelled the work as a ‘painting’, but the work snatched from the gallery was in fact a signed print.
According to MyArtBroker's Value Indicator, a signed Girl With Balloon print is currently valued between £150,000-£250,000, making this a large part of the gallery's display of over £1.8million worth of art at the time of the theft. The print has since been retrieved and returned to Grove Gallery, and Larry Fraser (47) and James Love (53) are set to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Thursday 19th September.
WarholMania: William John Kennedy and Billy Name Exhibition Opens in London
The Warhol Kennedy Residence in London have just opened an exhibition dedicated to photographers Billy Name and William John Kennedy. Closely intertwined with Andy Warhol, the photographs in the exhibition trace the creative prowess of the King of Pop and offer a unique glimpse into life in and around The Factory in the 1960s. The photographs on show record the printmaking and partying that took place in Warhol's studio, and give an intimate view into his life and work.
WarholMania: William John Kennedy and Billy Name is on show at The Warhol Kennedy Residence from 13 September - 31 October 2024. You can schedule a visit here.
Albrecht Dürer print rescued from a rubbish dump to appear at auction
The old saying “one man's trash is another man's treasure” has never been more fitting than with the recent discovery of an Albrecht Dürer print in a rubbish dump. A 500-year-old engraving was discovered by Mat Winter, who enjoyed scavenging around his local dump in the hope of discovering valuable antiques. After discovering the print, Winter reportedly took it home - where it remained in a cupboard for a over a decade with some of his other treasures. Earlier in 2024, Winter sent the print for a valuation who found it to be an original print by the German Master. The print is now up for auction via Rare Book Auctions, and is estimated to achieve between £10,000-£20,000.
The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden announce new Banksy x Basquiat exhibition
Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy, mavericks of street art past and present, are being brought together at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C. at the end of the month. The elusive street artist Banksy created a dialogue between his own work and Basquiat's by referencing the American artist's imagery: from his mural located in Barbican, London, to his aptly titled print Banksquiat. Basquiat's Boy And Dog In A Johnnypump (1982) will be exhibited alongside Banksy's Boy And Dog In Stop And Search (2018), a painted version of the Barbican mural which borrows Basquiat's skeletal figure as its focal point. The exhibition of these two works together shows the prevailing legacy of Basquiat, an early pioneer and proponent of street art as a legitimate art form.
Basquiat x Banksy will be on view at the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden 29th September 2024 - 26th October 2025.
David Hockney backs a nationwide drawing project
Bradford, birthplace of David Hockney, currently holds tenure as UK City of Culture. Earlier this week, a year-long programme was announced which involves outdoor installations, music events, and other visual art initiatives. One of these initiatives has been backed by Hockney himself, who will be “inviting people of all ages across the UK to take part in a project to reflect our everyday lives”, according to organisers. At 87-years-old, Hockney shows no sign of slowing his artistic practice whatsoever, and this project speaks to his relentless fascination of quotidian sights and experiences.
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