Although the elusive Banksy is best known for his street art that satires society, a fine art oil painting titled Devolved Parliament is poised to shatter his previous auction record. His largest work of art on canvas, measuring 2.4x3.9 metres, is going up for auction at Sotheby's this October with an estimate of US$1.9-2.5 million (£1.52-2 mil). Despite the fact that it was painted in 2009, the work is especially relevant now due to Brexit proceedings. The painting depicts a debate in the lower house of the British Parliament ruled by chimpanzees and the motif illustrates the animalistic approach that is taking over the political landscape in Britain.
The socially critical painting, which will be auctioned just a few miles from Parliament, where the past year has been devoted to Brexit debates, is expected to beat Banksy's previous record of US$1.87 million (£1.5 mil). The potential of a new record is said to be motivated by last autumn's auction when the work Girl With Balloon was half shredded after it was sold for £1.04 million. The painting, which was renamed Love is in the Bin, has been hanging at the Staatsgalerie Art Museum in Stuttgart, Germany since March.
Perhaps the strangest part of Banksy's artistic production is no longer his unknown identity, or his ingenious work, but rather that he continues to sell his works for low prices, which make the buyers millionaires at auction. His work has also elevated once despised street art to hard currency in the art market and hot collectibles for the world's leading art museums.
Comparing politicians with monkeys is nothing new. The phenomenon has occurred numerous times in both traditional media and social media in recent years, but also in older paintings and porcelain figurines depicting monkeys in fine clothes.
The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the lower house and the upper house. While the lower house is the primary legislature in the United Kingdom, which in effect appoints the executive political power in the form of the prime minister, the upper house is not entitled to make any decisions of its own, but has the right to postpone legislative proposals.
The painting will be shown to the public for the first time just four weeks before the revised Brexit deadline. It was acquired by its present owner in 2011 from the artist. Banksy's auction record was set in 2008 with the US$1.87 million (£1.5 mil) sale of Keep It Spotless that depicts a maid lifting up a Damien Hirst painting to sweep beneath.
If the art market lives up to these record expectations remains to be seen, but already the auction has been a success for Sotheby's who has capitalised heavily on the viral marketing campaign that has taken off in social media.
And if nothing else, the painting calls politicians and other holders of power in the UK to think about their role in Brexit, and how the outside world views them as they try to work on the details of the plan.
To quote Banksy's title from one of his more famous works: "Laugh now but one day we'll be in charge".
