Beschreibung:

BANKSY (B. 1975)Exclamation Rat
2006
tagged on the turnover edge; numbered 2/25 on the overlap
spray paint on canvas
40.3 by 30.1 cm.
15 7/8 by 11 7/8 in.
This work was executed in 2006, and is number 2 from an edition of 25.
FootnotesThe work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Pest Control Office and will be issued with an updated certificate to the buyer.
Provenance
LAZ Inc., London
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner circa 2006
One of the most acclaimed and sensational contemporary artists of our age, Banksy's career has gained a following unlike any other. His first solo show in over a decade, Cut & Run, was recently hosted at Glasgow's Gallery of Modern Art. His political statements and subversive mise-en-scène have appeared in cities across the globe at vital junctures in recent history, provoking alternative perspectives and fomenting spectacle and theatre in the art world. Banksy has gained unparalleled acclaim for his iconic and anti-establishment street art that is universally recognisable, with his most definitive and enduring works being highly sought after by collectors globally.
Exclamation Rat features one of the most popular yet humble characters among Banksy's stencilled subjects. Immediately identifiable, rats often appear as an allegorical motif in his criticism of societal ills, their publicly shunned status making them the perfect vehicle for Banksy's messages as they "exist without permission. They are hated, hunted, and persecuted. [...] And yet they are capable of bringing entire civilisations to their knees" (the artist in: Banksy, Wall and Piece, London, 2006, p. 83). Exclamation Rat shares its DNA with an earlier mural titled Gangsta Rat that appeared in Farringdon in 2004. This image was replicated by the artist in Old Street in 2006 and finally in New York in 2013. In the Covid lockdown of 2020, the artist shared an image of his own bathroom where a group of stencilled rats were wreaking havoc on the sink, toilet and mirror. The present work is a stellar example of Banksy's studio-line pieces and captures much of the essence of Banksy's formative years.
Exclamation Rat distils urban and youth culture of the 1990s in one scene – the anthropomorphic rat wears a chain necklace, a baseball cap cocked to one side, and carries a blaring boombox in one paw. Graffiti Art has long been the leading means of expression for the visual counterculture. As if caught by an unwelcome onlooker, the rat's tail stands stiffly and resembles the exclamation mark which literally punctuates the image. The symbolism of the vermin further deepens the perception of the street artist as an unwelcome pest in the eyes of law enforcement officers and custodians of so-called 'polite society'. Exclamation Rat displays autobiographical undertones which are evident in many of his works, often alluding to the artist as an anonymous crusader working under the cover of night for equality and social justice.
The omnipresence of rats, along with their ability to infest a city, parallels Banksy's decisiveness to highlight the dysfunctional aspects of mankind. The rife nature with which Banksy created his rats in public spaces echoes the activity of earlier generations of street artists such as Richard Hambleton with his iconic Shadowmen. There is a certain dichotomy to the way Banksy's Exclamation Rat and Hambleton's Shadowmen figures loom– they seem omnipotent in their presence yet there is a deeper sense of vulnerability in their identity-less nature.
Banksy has left an indelible mark on the walls of art history as a true maverick of the genre. His bold and iconic stencils combine an astute sense of current affairs, transcendent ideas, and a lasting impression on audiences. This mix of qualities cemented his journey and status from outsider street artist to one of the most important and admired political and cultural voices of the twenty-first century. Exclamation Rat from 2006 is central to the mythology that accompanies his oeuvre and the cult following he has garnered.