Largest ever Banksy is up for sale and set to fetch millions
The largest piece of art ever created by Banksy is up for sale - and is expected to fetch several million pounds.
The anonymous street artist spray-painted a seagull tucking into a refuse skip full of polystyrene chips on the side of a residential terraced building during his 'Great British Spraycation' in 2021. The artwork and steel casing, which in total weighs more than 11 and a half tonnes, had become a major attraction in Lowestoft, Norfolk, but was later removed in a huge overnight operation involving a crane.
The wall, which was removed from the side of the house and strapped up with chains, has been in storage at a secret and secure location ever since. And its owners have now decided to sell it and are inviting bids - with the 'humongous' piece of art expected to fetch several million pounds.
The owner, who has not been identified, said: "The time has come to sell our Banksy, we want it to fly from its current home in storage for someone to appreciate and enjoy the artwork." The mural is currently split into two pieces. The top section is 4.4m wide, 3.1m high, 4.4m deep and weighs approximately 4.4 tonnes.
The bottom section is 5m wide, 3.2m high, 6.6m deep and weighs approximately 7.2 tonnes. John Brandler, a Lowestoft art dealer, had previously estimated it could be worth up to £3m - but the selling agent said they believe it's likely to end up fetching significantly more. They said: "There has already been significant interest in the seagull and any sale is going to be well in excess of the valuation estimated at the time."
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The Bansky artwork being removed from the side of the house (Oliv3r Drone Photography/SWNS)The agent said that while they acknowledged some in the town were disappointed when it was removed - they said there was no other option as it wouldn't have survived in-situ. The agent added: "The wall on the house needed to be removed anyway - there was significant damage to the chimney stack on the gable end of the property above the Bird mural and the wall needed to be removed - at some point it would have fallen down.
"There was a lot of interest in the bird, and it did cause a lot of aggravation to the owners. They needed security - which was 24/7 at one point. "What they have actually done is preserve the piece of art as the wall was going to come down anyway. It is a massive, beautiful piece of art by Banksy and has been taken away safely and stored in a secure location in the UK."
The agent said the owners have soaked up all costs to have it removed and preserved - that is already in the hundreds of thousands of pounds. They added: "What people don't realise is they had to remove the side of the house - it was not just a case of knocking it down and catching it at the bottom.
"It was a complicated and strategic process to remove it safely - and we can confidently say it is still in a very good condition." It was originally painted by the artist in August 2021 as part of his 'Great British Spraycation' - a project aimed at boosting the economies of coastal towns which had suffered during the coronavirus pandemic.
The agent said: "It is the biggest piece of art Banksy has produced. It is not a painting or something on canvas. The size of it is incredible - it is a humongous piece of art. It is the full side of a house. "This is not something someone will buy if they want a piece of art. It is something for people to put somewhere or build into the side of a property and then display it for whatever purposes they want. "We believe the interest in it will be tremendous."
A website to express interest in buying has now gone live. The agent added: "This Banksy mural is now available for private sale. We have been appointed as 'sales agents' to facilitate the sale. It is the largest piece of art created by Banksy and was included in his 'Spraycation Tour' and featured on his Instagram video.
The Banksy is in secure storage after it was taken down from a house and listed for sale (SWNS)"We have created a website to facilitate any enquiries for anyone interested in acquiring the mural by Banksy. We are encouraging interested parties to only reach out to us via the website." Onlookers watched on as the art piece came down in April last year, with many locals saying they were "sad to see it go".
Its removal did spark controversy at the time with some claiming it should have been left for the community of Lowestoft to enjoy. Lowestoft Town Council said at the time: "The artwork has been a draw to tourists and a talking point for Lowestoft on the national stage. However, the building is privately owned so Lowestoft Town Council has no jurisdiction on the building or any further information of the intentions of the owner."
East Suffolk Council added: "While we are naturally disappointed by the reported removal of the Banksy seagull from the side of a building in Lowestoft, it is ultimately the right of the owner to make decisions about their own property. We acknowledge that Banksy's works, by their nature, may not always be permanent features. We remain grateful for the attention that Banksy has brought to Lowestoft a town with a burgeoning arts and cultural scene that will continue to go from strength to strength."
Anyone interested in purchasing the artwork should visit the website to submit an enquiry. The selling agent said the price was 'on application.
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