Indeed, looking at what the rat symbolises conjures up vivid connotations across the globe and across history. Cunning and resourceful, they are often depicted as clever and resourceful creatures, able to navigate various environments and find solutions to challenges. Rats are known for their ability to move stealthily and covertly - much like how a graffiti artist would evade the authorities under cover of darkness. Finally, In some contexts, rats are associated with betrayal and treachery. This symbolism stems from their association with thieves and informants in certain stories or cultural narratives. Set to this backdrop, we explore the use of rats across Banksy’s limited edition prints.
The Placard Rat series
Originally released in 2004,the placard rat series is the name given to a trio of indignant rats that are holding up different protest signs scrawled with phrases. Available in editions of 75 and an unsigned edition of 175, they are one of the rarer Banksy works that feature rats compared to Love and Gangsta Rat. All of the placard rat series were also produced in red as well as the lesser-known pink version.
“Because I’m Worthless” - a play on the L’Oreal “Because I’m Worth It” strapline. The message, written in red (or pink), is the sole use of colour on the artwork. Wearing a necklace with a peace sign, the rat is engaging in a protest. Against whom we wonder? Could it be against the ruling classes? Is the rat’s worthlessness a comment on the idea that there is no value in protesting, that the whims of the ruling and elite classes can not be toppled? The rat itself as a potential symbol to the disenfranchised and working classes?.Because I’m Worthless causes us to ask ourselves what are our values . . . worthless?
Buy Because I’m Worthless print by Banksy
Get Out While You Can - Get out of what we wonder? Knowing the topics and themes that Banksy explores there is a strong suggestion that the rat is asking us to flee from capitalistic society. After all, the idea of protesting against capitalism isn’t new within Banksy’s oeuvre - we see this in his Wrong War series as well as many other motifs, The rat’s comment about escaping the rat race and being a wage slave are instant associations that the viewer forms. In the artwork, at first glance, there is only simple imagery, yet again Banksy’s typical wit and interest in social commentaries shines through to dramatic effect, and causes us to ask ourselves what should we really be escaping from?
Buy Get Out While You Can print by Banksy
Protest and rebellion abound in the work - who is the rat protesting against? Could it be against the ruling classes? Is the rat’s hell comment a suggestion that the underclasses, symbolised by the rat, are living lowly lives and on the verge of revolution? What is hell? Do we create it ourselves, is hell on earth a result of the conditions we have created…are we living in the hell of our own creation? Banksy raises these issue and turns the focus back onto the viewer asking them to question themselves and their place in society.
Buy Welcome to Hell print by Banksy
The motif for Love Rat first appeared as a street art piece mural in Liverpool on the door of an abandoned house. Famously, the artist also created another huge rat mural on the side of a pub which subsequently has been removed. Love Rat, one of the artist’s most recognisable images, sees Banksy return to the familiar motif of the rat which so often appears across his prolific body of work. Executed in the artist’s signature stencil style, the central image is that of a rat holding a paintbrush as fresh, blood red paint from the recently painted heart drips down the scene. Promoted as “ideal for a cheating spouse” on Banksy’s website, Love Rat makes us think of the duality of love with its capacity to cause pain as well as joy.
One of the most desirable of all of the rat works, Radar Rat comes in a small edition size of 75 hand-finished and signed by the artist. Also known as “Sonic Rat” the print was originally released at Banksy’s Santa’s Ghetto pop-up by Pictures on Walls.Radar Rat has appeared in various guises including near to our gallery in Chelsea, on the cover of Dirty Funker’s “Future” album and as a canvas piece. In the work, we see a rat standing on its hind legs wearing headphones and a recording device in one hand and a radar in the other with a red radio wave spiral in the background. The surveillance state, recording, monitoring and spying on our every move, adds a sinister message that is coated in typical Banksy humour. Chased and hounded by the authorities, is Banksy meta-spying on himself? A provocative game of cat and mouse? Catch him if you can.
Released in 2004, Gangsta Rat was produced as a signed edition of 150 and unsigned edition of 350. Rare colourways of the print were also re-released in 2015 in pink (64), mint green (8) green (20) blue (61) orange (61) and grey (61). Gangsta Rat shows a sitting rat wearing a New York Mets baseball cap sporting a heavy chain medallion sitting next to a boom-box stereo. Above the rat are the letters iP.O.W which appear to be freshly sprayed and runs down the sheet. In hip-hop culture, of which graffiti can be considered part, there are 7 elements: b-boying, beatboxing, djing, graffiting, mc'ing, stunting and trapping - the rat embodying hip-hop can be seen to channel stunting, djing and graffiting. Aesthetically, the work showcases Banksy’s typical stencil stencil with a firm nod to his early free-hand style.
For more information on any of the works featured and to buy Banksy prints or explore our collection of Banksy original paintings for sale, contact Andipa via sales@andipa.com or call +44 (0)20 7589 2371.