Happy Shopper, 2009
Birch faced ply, cast jesmonite
238.5 x 116 x 74 cm (93 7/8 x 45 5/8 x 29 1/8 inches)
Unique
Signed “BANKSY” on the reverse
Phillips London: 10 February 2014
GBP 506,500 / USD 831,691
Exhibited
Banksy vs. Bristol Museum, Bristol, 2009
Banksy is a master of the surprising juxtaposition and this is perfectly encapsulated by Happy Shopper, a piece which featured in the acclaimed 2009 show ‘Banksy versus Bristol Museum’, where it held pride of place in the main entrance hall. “Some of the fake historical relics I’ve inserted among Bristol’s permanent collection should be entertaining — you can’t tell what’s truth and what’s fiction. It’ll be like walking through a real-life Wikipedia”.
Taking a classical statue from the museum as his model, Banksy mischievously adapts the figure, festooning the statue’s arms with shopping bags and placing a pair of over-sized sunglasses on the face. The effect is both startling and highly amusing. Were it not for her antique drapery, one would be forgiven for seeing this statue as a present-day character – a Paris Hilton or Victoria Beckham of sorts.
Despite its playful nature, the work carries an undeniable cynical edge. The mass of bags the figure is carrying points to an unquenchable desire for material goods, the stoic features of the sculpture meanwhile suggesting a glazed dissatisfaction. Clearly Banksy is making a direct dig at consumerist culture through this piece. ‘Banksy versus Bristol Museum’ was not the first time that Banksy infiltrated his art into public collections (in 2003 the artist infamously smuggled his work into the Tate Britain where it went unnoticed for hours) however, the Bristol exhibition and the pieces the artist produced for it, may be understood as holding particular personal significance to the artist since Bristol is thought to be his hometown.
Source: Phillips
