Flying Copper, 2003

sebastien laboureau

April 17, 2021

Flying Copper, 2003
Acrylic and spray-paint stencil on cardboard, double-sided
200×123 cm (80 3/4 x 48 3/8 inches)
From a series

Exhibited
Turf War, London, 2003

‘The Greatest Crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules but by people following the rules.’

Flying Copper shows a heavily armed police officer portrayed with small angel wings on his back. The policeman has a striking yellow smiley face which evokes of 1990s acid house culture but also a simply drawn popular and childlike design. The symbolism of the smiling face juxtaposed with assault rifle and armor shows a striking image of oppression and threat hiding behind a friendly face. Flying Copper explores the line between “peace-keeper” and “militant forces,” reminding the viewer to be skeptical of those with too much authority or power.

Flying Copper first appeared under a number of giant cut-out paintings suspended on cardboard from the ceiling at Turf War, Banksy’s first major exhibition in a warehouse in East London in 2003. The cut-outs were later spotted on the streets of Vienna and London, where the stencil appeared with a distinct red Banksy tag through the middle of it. Shoreditch Bridge also featured a row of Flying Coppers at some point.

Banksy, Cut It Out, December 2004

Flying Copper is one of Banksy’s earliest and most iconic images. As such, it is well known all around the world. Indeed, this visual is the perfect example of Banksy’s style featuring contrasting aesthetics: photo-realistic stencils combined with graphic features.

Combining those features results in a striking visual that sticks in the mind of the viewer. The juxtaposition of opposing concepts compels the audience to reconcile the fact that the “smiley face” (happiness), on an individual outfitted with riot gear (fear and intimidation) are perhaps not as contradictory as we might naturally think.

Flying Copper, 2003
Screen-print in colors on wove paper

Editions: 150 signed, 600 unsigned

Banksy combines them into one singular image to question the role the police state truly plays and how “perception vs reality” are oftentimes very different. The little angel wings on the policeman’s back accentuate an amusing juxtaposition between morality, truth, military control and intimidation.

Auction Results

Digard Auction: 1 June 2015
Estimated: EUR 120,000 – 150,000
EUR 185,020 / USD 201,880

BANKSY (Britannique, né en 1975) – Lot 80

BANKSY (British, born 1975)
Flying Copper, 2003
Double sided spray paint on cardboard Part
205.8 x 122 cm (81×48 inches)
Stencil signature throughout center

Sotheby’s London: 2 July 2008
GBP 39,650

Flying Happy Copper, 2003
Acrylic and spray-paint stencil on cardboard, double-sided
205×124 cm (80 3/4 x 48 3/4 inches)
From a series

Exhibited
Turf War, London, 2003

Smiling Copper, 2003

Spray-paint and acrylic on cardboard

200×78 cm (78 3/4 x 30 3/4 inches)

From a series, unknown edition

Sotheby’s London: 11 April 2018

GBP 137,500

Exhibited
Vienna, WUK Kunsthalle Exnegrasse. Bad Press. June – July 2003

Happy Copper, 2003
Spray-paint on wooden panel in three parts
187×112 cm (73 1/2 x 44 inches)
Unique
Sotheby’s London: 12 December 2017
GBP 84,500

This work was executed in 2003 on a stall at the Viennese Naschmarkt