Banksy x Escif Axe
Made in collaboration with Spanish artist Escif this hand made tool with a happy ending makes a fine decorative companion to fireside or radiator.
Made from polymer resin so not much good for actually chopping wood.
Edition: 3
Release Price: GBP 750
Signed
Working mainly in Valencia, street artist Escif is known for his clean style of graffiti which almost borders on illustration, as well as the striking messages he embeds within his artworks, most often about the damage of capitalism on our modern society.
In Axe, the two artists have collaborated to create a tongue in cheek sculpture that appears almost cartoon-like in its simplicity and wit. At first glance, it looks like a regular axe stuck into a piece of wood. But, upon closer inspection, the viewer sees the axe is growing a flower out of its handle, which, while smooth near the blade, becomes rough and more “natural” towards the handle. Once more, Banksy strikes with his creative genius, as the axe – a tool used to destroy living trees – becomes not only a living tree itself, but also a life source…
Rendered in polymer resin, the work becomes resolutely “unusable” and enters the realm of sculpture. Here the work makes a clever comment on the tradition of the readymade; whilst appearing to be a found object like Duchamp’s wine rack or urinal, the work has in fact been made from scratch, presenting a doubling of an existing object which has been given an ironic punchline by these two artists who are known for their satirical wit.
