Banksy's Lost Works

An illustrated guide to 51 Banksy artworks you can no longer see, in fascinating profiles of the street art murals which have been removed, destroyed, stolen, or sold to private collections. Each intriguing artwork is illustrated with colour photographs alongside the address of the original site and how the work of the elusive artist appeared – and then disappeared - in often surprising ways. Controversial and subversive but, now, highly collected: many of the Banksy works in this collection disappeared within days of their creation, with only images from viral social media to record their fleeting presence. Includes 'Dropped While She Shopped' of Bruton Lane, London, which was painted high on the wall of an office block which was demolished in 2023; the image carefully preserved and auctioned for $5 million. Plus 'Nothing Lasts Forever’, which appeared in New York's Chinatown in 2013 as an adjunct to an in situ sign stating ‘Graffiti is a Crime': the original sign disappeared; was replaced by a humorous update, and then, all within two days, the whole image whitewashed. The globe-trotting guide catalogues former sites around the UK, from London and Bristol; to Great Yarmouth and Dover; but also lost works once seen in the USA, Paris, Bethlehem, Gaza, and Hostomel. Curious, entertaining or tragic: the tales of the ‘lost’ Banksy's add an ironic, 21st century-coda to the satire of the artist’s original work.

Hardback
25 x 16.5cm
144 pages
Illustrated throughout with colour photographs
FSC accredited paper