Buy Banksy Grin Reaper Signed & Unsigned Print

Released in 2005 Grin Reaper by Banksy is part of an edition of 300 signed prints. One of the artist’s most recognisable motifs, the piece shows the figure of the Grim Reaper subverted through the artist’s typical dry humour and wit.
Resting casually upon a clock face that is reminiscent of Big Ben, the reaper holds his scythe - ready to cut down the living and take them away to the land of the dead. The hooded symbol of death, however, does not have a typically skeletal or hidden face but that of a bright yellow smiley face.  The ‘Smiley’ face is one of the most recognizable logos in Western society, and is associated both to the sphere of synthetic drugs and to the idea of positivity and optimism.
The countdown is on, to what we wonder? As the hands of the clock, unfaltering and unwavering, move towards midnight the Grin Reaper sits there provoking, threatening and mocking us: the bright face of death himself contrasted with the black and white stencil. Death and humour delicately dance together as the artist’s playful and subversive wit confuses and shocks the viewer. Could this be the artist toying with the idea of Memento Mori? That death comes to us all and should be the impetus to all of us to live our lives to the fullest? So, in the words of Monty Python in their iconic song “Always Look On The Bright Side Of LIfe” maybe, “If life seems jolly rotten, There's something you've forgotten, And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing”.

Banksy uses various motifs in various guises across his seminal output,  the artist returns to the Acid House smiley face in Have a Nice Day and Flying Copper that have gone on to be considered some of the best examples of the artist’s disdain for authority.  Explore other Banksy prints for sale.

Buy Grin Reaper Print by Banksy

Andipa Editions, as part of Andipa, have been at the forefront of the Banksy secondary market for over 15 years. To enquire about buying a signed or unsigned Grin Reaper  print, contact us via sales@andipa.com or on +44 (0) 20 7589 2371

Sell Grin Reaper Print by Banksy

With a global network of active buyers, Andipa Editions are the place to sell your Banksy signed or unsigned Grin Reaper print. Straight-forward and stress-free, we manage the process on your behalf and help to maximise your return. For a complimentary valuation of your Grin Reaper  print, contact us via sales@andipa.com or on +44 (0) 20 7589 2371