Share on twitter
Share on facebook
Share on pinterest
Share on email

Get Out While You Can, 2004

BY

Get Out While You Can, 2004
Editions: 75 signed, 175 unsigned
Get Out While You Can is part of the Placard Rat series, a trilogy of three screen prints released in 2004 featuring the artist’s iconic rat holding up a placard bearing the work’s title. The two other prints are Welcome To Hell and Because I’m Worthless. The inspiration behind the series comes from “Get Out While You Can” by author George Marshall, a book explaining how to find a way out of “salary slavery” or “rat race”. 
Get Out While You Can (Pink), 2004

 

Get Out While You Can portrays a rat standing up on two feet, like a human, and holding up a placard reading “Get Out While You Can” in bright red or pink writing. The rat, wearing a necklace bearing a peace sign, is seemingly engaged in a form of social protest as well as a warning of a danger still to come. The violence of the message is contrasted by the peace sign around the rat’s neck in a complex double meaning, characteristic of Banksy’s work. The sign, in bright red splattered paint inevitably reminds the viewer of blood.

Placard Rats were released by Pictures on Walls at the price of GBP 74.99 for an unsigned print, and GBP 150 for a signed print.

 

In the early 2000’s Banksy’s rats could be found all over London. Most of them have been lost to the various graffiti cleaning squads, removed for profit chancers, or painted over. However, this Placard Rat in Chiswell Street, London, has survived the ravages of time.

Freshly painted, the rat had a hand written slogan on its placard saying “London doesn’t work”. It was placed at ground level on a corner of a building and well over 15 years later is still there to this day.
This is maybe in part due to the updated text on the sign which now reads “I love London, Robbo”. The back story to this is Banksy’s long running feud with legendary London graffiti writer Robbo. Before Robbo’s untimely death, and as part of a tit for tat going over of each others work, Robbo replaced Banksy’s wording on the placard so that it became his slogan instead. Since his passing no graffiti writer would consider going over his words and its accompanying rat and so it has stayed in near perfect condition ever since.
By giving the figure of the rat a voice Banksy is speaking for those oppressed and defeated by capitalism and consumerism with a warning against modern life in the over-surveilled city.
Obviously, Banksy also sees something of himself in his rat character as an artist who works under the radar, operating largely at night, and is considered by much of society to be a pest.

DESCRIPTION


Get Out While You Can

Year: 2004
Medium: Screen-print in colors on wove paper
Size: 50×35 cm (19 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches)
Publisher: Pictures on Walls
 

Editions

Signed Edition: 75
Unsigned Edition: 175
Some in red, some in pink (exact counts not specified)

 

AUCTION RESULTS

1. GOWYC (unsigned)

Get Out While You Can (unsigned) sold twice at auction in 2024, at Forum Auctions on 11 June 2024 for GBP 16,080 (USD 20,502), and at Roseberys London on 26 April 2024 for GBP 29,680 (USD 24,600).

Get Out While You Can (unsigned) only sold once at auction in 2023, at Christie’s online for GBP 25,200 (USD 30,996).

Get Out While You Can (unsigned) did not sell at auction in 2022.

Get Out While You Can (unsigned) sold 3 times at auction in 2021, at an average price of GBP 46,107 (USD 64,438). It sold for its highest price in 2021 at Sotheby’s online, on 18 March 2021, for GBP 52,920 (USD 73,559).

2024 Auction Results

Get Out While You Can (unsigned) sold twice at auction in 2024, at Forum Auctions on 11 June 2024 for GBP 16,080 (USD 20,502), and at Roseberys London on 26 April 2024 for GBP 29,680 (USD 24,600).

Forum Auctions: 11 June 2024
Estimated: GBP 12,000 – 15,000
GBP 12,000 (Hammer)
GBP 16,080 / USD 20,502

BANKSY (b.1974)
Get Out While You Can (Pink) (unsigned), 2004
Screenprint in black and pink on wove paper
Numbered from the edition of 175 in pencil

Roseberys London: 23 April 2024
Estimated: GBP 12,000 – 15,000
GBP 19,680 / USD 24,600

BANKSY (b. 1974)
Get Out While You Can (Pink) (unsigned), 2004
Screenprint on wove
Numbered 170/175 in pencil, with the publisher’s blindstamp

2023 Auction Results

Get Out While You Can (unsigned) sold once at auction in 2023, at Christie’s online for GBP 25,200 (USD 30,996).

Christie’s online: 14 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 25,200 / USD 30,996

BANKSY
Get Out While You Can (unsigned), 2004
Screenprint in black and red on wove paper
Numbered 104/175 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left

2021 Auction Results

Get Out While You Can (unsigned) sold 3 times at auction in 2021, at an average price of GBP 46,107 (USD 64,438). It sold for its highest price in 2021 at Sotheby’s online, on 18 March 2021, for GBP 52,920 (USD 73,559).

 

Tate Ward Auctions: 24 June 2021
Estimated: 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 35,000 / USD 49,700

BANKSY (British 1974-)
Get Out While You Can (Pink) (unsigned), 2004
Screenprint in colors on wove paper
Numbered from an edition of 175 in pencil

Sotheby’s online: 18 March 2021
Estimated: GBP 15,000 – 20,000
GBP 52,920 / USD 73,559
HIGHEST PRICE PAID FOR GOWYC (UNSIGNED) IN 2021

BANKSY (b. 1974)
Get Out While You Can (unsigned), 2004
Screenprint in colors on wove paper
Numbered 69/175, with the publisher’s blindstamp

Sotheby’s online: 18 March 2021
Estimated: GBP 12,000 – 15,000
GBP 50,400 / USD 70,056

BANKSY (b. 1974)
Get Out While You Can (Pink) (unsigned), 2004
Screenprint in colors on wove paper
Numbered 114/175, with the publisher’s blindstamp

 

 

2. GOWYC (signed)

Get Out While You Can (signed) did not sell at auction in 2024.

Get Out While You Can (signed) sold once at auction in each of 2023/2022/2021. It sold for its highest price ever paid at auction in 2021 at Bonhams in London, on 25 February 2021, for GBP 94,000 (USD 132,900).

 

Forum Auctions: 30 August 2023
Estimated: GBP 38,000 – 45,000
HAMMER GBP 36,000
GBP 48,240 / USD 61,372

BANKSY
Get Out While You Can (signed), 2004
Screenprint in black and red on wove paper
Signed and dated in pencil
Numbered in pencil from the edition of 75 with the publisher’s blindstamp

Forum Auctions: 15 June 2022
Estimated: GBP 50,000 – 70,000
GBP 67,000 / USD 82,710

BANKSY
Get Out While You Can Pink (signed), 2004
Screenprint in black and pink on wove paper
Signed and dated in pencil, lower right
Numbered XX/75 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower right

Bonhams London: 25 February 2021
Estimated: GBP 40,000 – 60,000
GBP 94,000 / USD 132,990
WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR GOWYC (SIGNED)

BANKSY (British, born 1975)
Get Out While You Can (signed), 2004
Screenprint in colors on wove
Signed, dated and numbered ’26/75′ in pencil, with the publisher’s blindstamp

Sotheby’s online: 18 September 2020
GBP 88,200 / USD 114,660
BANKSY
Get Out While You Can (signed), 2004
Screenprint in colors on wove
Signed and dated in pencil, lower left
Numbered 16/75 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower right

Gallery

More like this

wpChatIcon
wpChatIcon