Laugh Now, 2002

Auction History
Bonhams London: 16 April 2008
Estimated: GBP 50,000 – 70,000
GBP 84,000 / USD 110,632

Laugh Now encapsulates the sharp wit and keenly satirical character of Banksy’s work. Deceptively simple, the work communicates a powerful message in its stark economy. Although his shoulders slope under the burden of the sandwich board, his set jaw and subtly clenched fists indicate a spirit of defiant resistance in the face of his oppression, signaling an ominous warning of what is to come. Advocating for the oppressed and disenfranchised within the socio-economic contexts of late capitalism, Banksy’s work cleverly juxtaposes epigram and image as a way of challenging the status quo and the concentration of power in the hands of the few. Like the rat, another recurring character from Banksy’s bestiary, the monkey is employed by the artist as a way of darkly addressing social issues, drawing on the animal’s metaphoric relationship to humans to comment on issues of inequality, political resistance, and protest that underpins the street artist’s entire project.