• BANKSY    Editions

  • Laugh Now, 2003
    Screen-print on wove paper
    70cm x 50cm
    Edition of 750 (150 Signed)

    Laugh Now, 2003

    Laugh Now, 2003 depicts a monkey wearing a sandwich board warning that he will one day have the power. The exact meaning of this work has not been clarified, despite being a motif that occurs frequently within Banksy's oeuvre. One interpretation of this piece is a commentary on animal cruelty, whether that's medical testing, entertainment or poaching, and that there will one day be karmic revenge against the perpetrators. This explanation ties well with Banksy's work as his work has a constant moral thread and this applies to all elements of society.

     

    Another interpretation of this piece is the broader application to all oppressed people. The implication of rebellion against oppressors can be seen as connoting the right to resist tyranical forces, which can be linked to a large range of topics covered by Banksy. 

  • "Nobody ever listened to me until they didn't know who I was"

     

    - Banksy

    The tone of the Laugh Now, 2003 critique matches Banksy's anarchistic quality and can be interepeted as a surrogate for a variety of topics, includng for himself. The subject in question could be applied to the modern artist and that they will be the one's with the power, not the establishment. This subversive humor paired with stark imagery resonates with Banksy’s wider critique of social structures and institutional control. Through works like Laugh Now, 2003, Banksy challenges viewers to question the prevailing hierarchy and anticipate upheavals led by unexpected individuals.