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The 7 feet by 7 feet mural (2.1 by 2.1 meters) called "I
Remember When All This Was Trees," which was painted by Banksy
on the wall of the crumbling Packard factory in Detroit in 2010,
will be sold along with a second large mural the graffiti artist
created in Bethlehem.
The Bethlehem work, called "Donkey Documents," depicts a donkey
having its papers checked by an armed soldier and was one of a
series of politically-aimed 2007 art works left by Banksy along
a concrete barrier dividing the West Bank from Israel.
Julien's said the 7 feet high by 10 1/2 feet long (2.1 by 3.2
meters) Bethlehem mural could fetch up to $600,000 at the
September 30 auction, although a spokesman said the final price
on both works could be much higher.
"These are considered conservative estimates. These pieces could
fetch more. It's hard to say," Michael Doyle, director of
business development at Julien's told Reuters. A Banksy mural
painted on a shop in London sold at a private auction for $1.1
million in 2013.
Banksy, the pseudonym of a graffiti artist who first emerged in
Bristol, England, hides his identity and real name. His often
subversive, satirical works have become highly sought after by
collectors even as their removal from their original sites has
grown controversial.
In April, Palestinian police confiscated a bombed-out doorway
bearing a recent Banksy painting after the original owner
complained he had been swindled into selling it to a local man
for $175.
Citing confidentiality, Doyle declined to give details on the
Bethlehem mural but said Julien's had been approached by the
owners after the work was removed from its original location.
The mural was posted by Banksy on his website shortly after its
creation, which is seen as a mark of authenticity
The Detroit mural is owned by the city's small non-profit 555
Gallery and is being sold to raise funds for community arts
programs. It depicts a young boy wearing a hoodie with a red
paint can and a brush and bears rare finger prints in red paint
that are believed to have been left by Banksy.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Lisa Lambert)
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