For over a decade, Steve Lazarides was Banksy’s agent and photographer, working with the artist as he grew from an unknown graffiti painter to arguably the most infamous artist on the planet.
Steve Lazarides. Photograph: Julien's Auctions
Yesterday in Los Angeles, Lazarides auctioned an archive of over 170 rare Banksy artworks and personal ephemera. Featuring early sketches of iconic pieces, paintings, used stencils, hand-written notes and even the burner phones used by the duo to coordinate the artist’s stealthy painting sessions, the ex-manager’s collection is a sight to behold, granting an unprecedented look into the secretive world of the artist during the most pivotal years of his career.
In today’s blog, we’re taking a closer look at the duo’s history and some of the biggest sales at the auction...
15 burner phones used by Lazarides to covertly contact Banksy. Photograph: Julien’s Auctions/PA
Unprecedented Access
Lazarides was working as a photographer for Sleazenation Magazine when he first heard of Banksy. Hailing from Bristol and knowing plenty of the city’s graffiti artists, Lazarides managed to track down Banksy to arrange to photograph his work.
Speaking in his documentary, Under Duress: The Banksy Archive of Steve Lazarides, Banksy’s ex-agent reveals:
“I’d been into graffiti for a long time and I was hooked by the second image he [Banksy] showed me. He was using a political tool – the stencil, which up until that point I’d only seen used in graffiti in Czechoslovakia. It was a complete game changer.
His work had a message and it was funny. He had balls. He put his shit in places that other people didn’t go. The sheer volume of it. I was fully sold. Right away, I knew I’d do anything to help this kid.
He called me a couple of weeks later. He wanted a lift as he was picking up some screen prints of Rude Copper. He was going to take them to the anarchist book fair and sell them for a fiver. I told him not to do that, to sell them to me for £20 and then I’d sell them on for £50. Our partnership went from there.”
This particular print once hung in the office of Pictures on Walls. Pic: Julien's/Steve Lazarides
Up for Grabs
Alongside rare proof prints, the auction featured unusual items that Lazarides delightfully describes as, “things that were left in his car or picked up from behind a bin.”
The treasure trove offers a fascinating glimpse into Banksy’s creative process, including concept sketches of his Napalm print and Every Time I Make Love To You, I Think of Someone Else. At the auction, one hand-cut stencil of Drill Rat, went for $78,000 (£60,413).
Drill Rat stencil Pic: Julien's/Steve Lazarides
More unusual items included a 2002 original domain name registration certificate which sold for $3,000 (£2323), and a pair of limited edition Puma Clydes worn by Banksy at his 2003 Turf War exhibition. In the auction, these used sneakers went for $32,450 (£25,133).
These Puma trainers have 'Turf War' embroidered on the heels, and 'Banksy' inside. Pic: Julien's/Steve Lazarides
Pièce(s) de Résistance
Perhaps the most exciting items being auctioned were those that give us a glimpse at the personality of the elusive artist. The collection includes hand-written notes to Lazarides, and Banksy’s mission statement for Pictures on Walls (P.O.W,), a gallery that Banksy set up with his manager and several others in the early 2000s in a bid to make art accessible to the masses.
The selection also includes video footage and 250 rolls of photographic film that capture behind-the-scenes footage of Banksy becoming the icon he is today. Shot by Lazarides, the footage and photographs feature portraits, images of Banksy working, and some of Banksy’s most notorious stunts, installing his artworks in the hallowed halls of the Natural History Museum, British Museum and Tate Modern.
Prize lots
It's no surprise that the biggest seller on the night was an original proof print of Banksy's iconic Girl With Balloon, which raked in $104,000 (£80,650) - almost twice the expected price.
Pic: Julien's/Steve Lazarides
An original painting of one of Banksy's hooded figures also drew hundreds of bids, with the victor securing the artwork for $78,000 (£60,450).
Pic: Julien's/Steve Lazarides
A hand-cut stencil bearing Banksy's signature name was snapped up for $58,000 (£44,984), while a set of concept sketches on manila for his Paparazzi Rat stencil reached $52,000 (£40,336).
Pic: Julien's/Steve Lazarides
This auction is yet further proof of Banksy's enduring influence on the face of contemporary art and popular culture of the 21st century.
If you're interested in investing in a Banksy artwork, contact the gallery on +44 (0)1273 724829 to chat to an Art Adviser about the pieces we have.
