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HMV Dog, 2002

BY

BANKSY
HMV Dog, 2002
Oil and spraypaint stencil on board
50.5 x 73.5cm (19 7/8 x 29 inches)
Stenciled with the signature

Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner in 2002

 

Auction History
Sotheby’s London: 12 December 2007
Estimated: GBP 30,000 – 40,000
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.

As it is usually the case with Banksy, many interpretations are possible. HMV takes a cheeky shot at corporate branding and blind loyalty, remixing the iconic His Master’s Voice logo into something far more subversive. Instead of a dog listening devotedly to a gramophone, this pup is locked and loaded, aiming a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher directly at the source of the sound. The turntable still spins, but the message has changed: obedience is over, and retaliation is queued up next. In classic Banksy fashion, the piece satirizes how institutions, from governments to media conglomerates, expect blind trust from the public, rewarding compliance with exploitation. The stark black-and-white palette heightens the drama, while the joke lands with deadly precision. This is not just a dog off its leash, it is a metaphor for the modern rebel, turning propaganda into powder.

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