Untitled (Laugh Now…), 1998

This work might be one of the earliest iterations of Banksy’s now iconic Laugh Now visual. It is widely regarded as a foundational piece in his evolution as a politically sharp, subversive street artist. In Laugh Now, Banksy delivers a bleak prophecy wrapped in a deadpan joke. A line of stenciled monkeys, each wearing a placard that reads “Laugh now, but one day we’ll be in charge”, march across a blood-red background like disgruntled employees on strike. At first glance, it looks humorous: monkeys in aprons, yet the text seethes with disillusionment and veiled menace.

Often interpreted as a critique of societal hierarchy, Laugh Now questions who truly holds power. Are we laughing at the monkeys, or are we the monkeys, ridiculed by those in power until the tables turn? The uniformity and repetition of the image echo themes of mass control, conformity, and revolt, while the use of apes subtly invokes Darwinian evolution, regression, and the collapse of civilization.

Originally commissioned for a nightclub in Brighton, this piece helped define Banksy’s tone: ironic, minimal, and deadly precise. It paved the way for later primate-themed works like Devolved Parliament and Monkey Queen, reinforcing the monkey as a stand-in for humanity at its most absurd and dangerous.