Banksy™ Vest
A version of the ‘John Bull’ English gents waistcoat updated for modern times.
This customized body armor is capable of stopping bullets up to 45 caliber and is fully stab proof, yet not machine washable.
As worn by Stormzy at Glastonbury festival
(because it’s very dangerous there).
One size only.
Edition: 5
Release Price: GBP 850
Famously worn by Stormzy as part of his 2019 Glastonbury set, during which he encouraged the crowd to join him in chanting “Fuck Boris,” this stab vest emblazoned with the Union Jack has become an icon of the British society which appears to be steeped not only in endless debates about Brexit, but also marked by poverty and inner city violence resulting from years of austerity.
Stormzy backstage at The Glastonbury Festival (24 July 2019)
The work is obviously consistent with the artist being a vocal dissident of the state and its police force, using his talent to create striking images to convey political messages on the streets of cities around the world.
With this dark portrayal of the Union Jack, Banksy seems to turn a mirror on the empire that made its fortune off the back of colonialism while at the same time referencing the art historical tradition of the readymade. By appropriating a found object and making it his own, he takes up the mantle of Marcel Duchamp and adds a lacerating political message.
AUCTION RESULTS
Vest, 2019
Sotheby’s London: 9 October 2024
Estimated: GBP 200,000 – 300,000
GBP 780,000 / USD 1,021,800
Vest | Contemporary Evening Auction | 2024 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)
BANKSY (b. 1974)
Vest, 2019
Acrylic on canvas, velcro and Plastazte foam
45x43x32 cm (17 3/4 x 16 7/8 x 12 5/8 inches)
Signed and numbered 1 (on the reverse)
This work is number 1 from an edition of 5
