BANKSY
Flying Copper, 2003
Acrylic and spray-paint stencil on cardboard, double-sided
200×123 cm (81×48 inches)
From a series
Exhibited
Turf War, London, 2003
Auction History
Several works from the series sold at auction over the past 10 years.
 |  |  |
| Digard Auction 1 June 2015 Est.: EUR 120,000 – 150,000 | Artcurial 22 January 2013 Est.: EUR 80,000 – 120,000 | Sotheby’s London 11 April 2018 Est.: GBP 30,000 – 40,000 |
| Price Realized EUR 185,020 / USD 201,880 | Price Realized EUR 112,963 / USD 150,285 | Price Realized GBP 137,500 (#23) BANKSY | Smiling Copper |
Catalogue Note
‘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.
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.
