Di-Faced Tenner
The title ‘Di-Faced’, plays on the word defaced creating a counterfeit parody the £10 note by replacing the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with that of the late Princess Diana. Instead of Bank of England, the note reads, ‘Banksy of England’ and below the banner, an inscription reads, ‘I promise to pay the bearer on demand the ultimate price’, a reference to the fate of the Princess. With regards to quality and production, the note is printed using inks on paper almost identical to that used on official UK-issued currency.
Banksy produced the notes in August 2004 and at least 100,000 were known to be printed adding up to a million pounds in fake currency. He created them for a stunt in which he dropped a suitcase full of the fake tenners into the crowd at the Notting Hill Carnival as well as at the Reading Festival. Many people got their hands on one or more and some even spent it as legitimate currency. While causing controversy in his own way, Banksy was never actually charged for counterfeit. Buy Di-Faced Tenner print by Banksy.
Queen Vic
As with Monkey Queen the monarchy - and by default its intrinsic sense to the national identity and history of the UK - is questioned by Banksy. The monarch, dressed in full ceremonial regalia, wears a crown and carries a sceptre whilst the lady underneath is sprawled in stockings and suspenders. Created in the typical stencil style for which the artist is known, the red background adds an eye-catching contrast to the jet black and white outlines of the two principal figures.Here we see Banksy’s thinly veiled attack on the establishment through a subversive use of imagery and humour creating a piece with exceptional shock value. The Queen, representing power and control, subjugates and suffocates her unfortunate victim which could represent the lower classes. Buy Queen Vic by Banksy.
Monkey Queen
One of the key representations of institution and hierarchy in British society, the monarchy is, perhaps, engrained within the British psyche. A street mural of the work appeared stencilled outside the London club Chill Out Zone which was subsequently removed by the authorities for Queen Elizabeth’s golden jubilee which marked the 50th anniversary of her coronation. Toying with the notion of rule and adherence to rule, Banksy evokes Darwin and pokes fun at the Queen through questioning her image and right to rule. Offset by a symbol of `1960s counterculture, the image is overlaid onto a Lambretta RAF badge that was synonymous with the Mods of the swinging sixties. Buy Monkey Queen print by Banksy.
Explore more of our Banksy prints for sale and read more about each print in further detail with our Banksy Editions Guide or view our original Banksy paintings for sale. Looking to sell? Andipa is the best place to sell your Banksy print. For any questions, contact Andipa via sales@andipa.com or call +44 (0)20 7589 2371.