Prints

The prints have been an essential part of Banksy’s “oeuvre”. The idea behind making prints is to provide affordable artwork for the broader public. The first regular print release was “Rude Copper” in 2002. Since then, 52 motives have been used for making prints. Some of the motives have been printed in different colourways. If we include all of these colourways, the total count is approximately 125 different prints. The editions are relatively small, ranging from 10 to 1000, where 300 would be the most common edition.

A waterproof authentication system is imposed by Pest Control Office, Banksy’s handling office. The limited supply and the authentication system have created a dynamic market where some of the most coveted prints are sold for well over 50,000 GBP on the secondary market – pieces bought and sold between collectors at auctions or dealers/galleries. The same print might have been sold by Banksy for 49 GBP at the initial release back in the early 2000s.

The following is a simplified retrospective of Banksy prints. It only reflects the motive and the year it was released. It doesn’t count the different colourways or differences between the abovementioned releases. But it does give a feel of how Banksy evolved artistically during the 2000s.

Banksy print release 2002

2002 - Rude Copper

Banksy print releases 2003

Banksy print releases 2004

 

 

Banksy print releases 2005

 

Banksy print releases 2006

 

Banksy print releases 2007

 

Banksy print releases 2008

 

Banksy print releases 2009

 

Banksy print release 2010

2010 - Choose your weapon

The Warhol-inspired “Tesco Soup Can” comes in 28 colourways, and the Keith Haring tribute “Choose Your Weapon” comes in 17 combinations. “No Ball Games”, “Kate Moss”, and “Nola” are some other prints with different colour variations.
Several other motives have been released in slightly different versions. Examples are the prints released at the Barely Legal exhibition in 2006. These earlier versions of Morons, Applause, Trolleys and Grannies go under “LA Editions”. The year after, there were releases of the same prints in London but with some variations.
The last regular print released by Pest Control Office was the Keith Haring-inspired “Choose Your Weapon” in 2010. Since then, there have been two print releases, but in limited editions, “Love Hurts” in 2012 and “Dumbo” in 2014.