HMV Dog
HMV Dog
Year: 2002
Medium: Oil and spray-paint stencil on board
Dimensions: 50.5×73.5 cm (19 7/8 x 29 inches)
Edition: From a series
Tagged “BANKSY” in white spray, lower right
Auction History
Auction House: Sotheby’s London
Date: 12 December 2007
Price realized: GBP 66,500
HMV Dog, also known as, His Master’s Voice or Rocket Dog portrays a white dog casually pointing a bazooka towards a 19th century gramophone. Appropriating the iconic logo of the British popular music and entertainment form created in the 1920’s, Banksy comments on the old-fashioned nature of the music industry which the dog intends to bring down. This work could also illustrate the lost battle of music retailers in the digital era. More widely, The gramophone symbolizes past generations and conservatism the dog is determined to destroy in order to leave room for the new.
