Love Is In the Air (with stars), 2006
Acrylic and spray paint on canvas
42.5 x 43 cm (16 3/4 x 17 inches)
Tagged BANKSY (on the turning edge)
Signed BANKSY (on the reverse)
Provenance
Lazarides Ltd, London
Acquired from the above in 2006 by the present owner
Auction History
Sotheby’s New-York: 17 November 2022
USD 1,159,200
Love Is In the Air (with stars) | Contemporary Day Auction | 2022 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)
One of Banksy’s most iconic and immediately recognizable images, Love is in the Air (with stars) encapsulates the decisive social commentary and wit that typifes the artist’s highly acclaimed oeuvre. Entirely fresh to market, having been first acquired by Banksy’s primary dealer Steve Lazarides, the present work is an entirely unique iteration on Banksy’s iconic Flower Thrower series. Distinguished by its diamond shape and arch of red stars surrounding the iconic image of the flower thrower, the present work is the first diamond-shaped star thrower to appear at auction. Love is in the Air (with stars) shares its title with the 1978 hit song by John Paul Young, emblematic of Banksy’s humor and reverence for Pop Culture. The youthful figure, dressed as a militant, leans backwards with one arm outstretched, as if preparing to throw something aggressively. Banksy’s iconic subject adopts the archetypal pose of civil disobedience, preparing to throw a bomb or a Molotov cocktail in the air towards an unseen enemy. Yet, the weapon is replaced with a bouquet of flowers, disarming the image of its connotations of violent unrest and expressing a potent call for peace. First created on a wall at Beit Sahour near the West Bank Barrier, Banksy’s image of the flower thrower has become a powerful message expressing the absurdity of war and the artist’s vocal advocacy for peace.
The arch of red stars rendered in the present work serve as a resounding symbol of peace. Recalling the crown of stars usually hovering over renderings of the Virgin Mary and other Catholic saints, this art historical symbol is now most recognizable as the main insignia of the flag of the European Union. Here, Banksy has repurposed this instantly recognizable emblem and given it new meaning. Moreover, the tantalizing halo of red stars that encircle the figure, which creates an interesting and dynamic tension between the delicacy of the stencil and the brutality of the arc, acts as a roadmap for the flowers being thrown. The present work exposes the artist’s continued interest in the irrationality of the war, and the associated political extremism that can derive from unbalanced power dynamics. Embracing his role as a social commentator, Banksy uses the power of familiar symbols of both an arch of stars and a bouquet of flowers, which results in controversial and provocative images, to convey a political message. The artist reminds us of the injustice and inequality that persists in contemporary society, and provides a universal message for hope, advocating for peace and social change to overcome the conflicts that surround us. This highly demonstrative work contributed to establishing Banksy’s place in the history of art, securing his reputation as a cardinal and extensively heard voice.
In its original guerrilla iteration on the West Bank Barrier, Love is in the Air (with stars) testifies to Banksy’s unique ability to activate urban environments and public architecture in a way that supercharges his message, lending his images a searing immediacy for all those who live in or visit the region. The figure in the image also has a special resonance for local people, as his pose recalls that of the angel statue at the Shepherds’ Field Chapel of Beit Sahour in the West Bank. The church is said to have been built at the place where, according to Christian tradition, the Annunciation to the shepherds took place, with an angel telling his audience that their savior had been born. This clever reference to a local symbol underlines the message of hope Banksy seeks to convey through the present work, and casts Banksy’s protagonist as a harbinger of hope and salvation in his own right.
