Banksy On Sale In Jersey For £500,000

Tuesday, 20 June 2023 10:00

Private & Public Gallery has got its hands on an original Banksy and is selling it for half a million pounds.

'I Wanted Wine Women & Song' was created in 2005 on plywood - commonly used by builders - with spray paint and a stencil.

The original text is by Simon Munnery from the famous pop song 'Wine Women and Song.'

The anonymous street artist has turned the text into a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the disappointment of everyday 21st-century life.

Chris Clifford from Private & Public Gallery says Banksy is a world-class artist and there's not a place on earth that doesn't know him.

"It's an astonishing thing to have here in Jersey, it's a great privilege for the gallery to have the work here on display and to allow people to come and see it. For me, it's a real caché."

Mr Clifford believes it is the most expensive artwork to ever go on sale in the Channel Islands.

Pest Control, which is Banky's authentication group, has confirmed the piece is real with certification.

The poster-sized (79 cm by 49 cm)piece has doubled in value since it was last purchased in 2018 by a Jersey-based collector for around £250,000.

Chris Clifford says Banksy is one of the most renowned investment artists. The piece is drawing interest from international collectors, but it is hoped it might be snapped up locally:

"There will be some people who are looking to buy this, keep it in a secure storage area, in a tax-free facility, for some time until it doubles in value, but there will be collectors who love the sentiments of the work and will buy it because they just want to have it on their wall and enjoy it.

"I hope it goes to the second type of collector because they will put it in their house, their friends, their family, anyone who sees it will get the benefit of it."