Tesco Petrol Bomb

Official 'Tesco Petrol Bomb' poster sold after the Tesco Riots in 2011 at the Bristol Anarchist book fair by Banksy in order to raise money for legal assistance for the victims. Only 2000 were printed. Comes with original Boycott Tesco sticker from event.

Dimensions: 19.7 × 15.3 Inches / 50 x 40 cm

Medium: Offset lithograph printed in colors on thin wove paper

Provenance: Comes with original Boycott Tesco sticker from event. Signed in the plate by Banksy lower right corner. Comes with a Post Modern Vandal certificate of authenticity. Original owner purchased directly from the Anarchist Book Fair on day of release. 

Edition: Edition of 2000

Year: 2011

Condition: Excellent

ABOUT THE ART

Tesco Petrol Bomb shows a lit petrol bomb in a brown Tesco bottle. The bottle has the well-known blue and white Tesco value label. The neck of the bottle is stuffed with a burning cloth. The label reads "Petrol Bomb." It's a show of support for those who were arrested during the 2011 Bristol riots. People were protesting the new Tesco Express that opened in the Stokes Croft area. The protests became violent and people were arrested. Banksy produced several prints for sale and donated the profits to those who need to pay for legal assistance. People were able to buy the posters exclusively at Bristol's Anarchist Bookfair days after the riots broke out. Tesco Petrol Bomb is also a symbol of the supermarket expansion. Supermarkets are detrimental to free markets as local shops are getting wiped out.

ARTIST BIO

Banksy (British, born c. 1974/1975) is one of the most well-known, if anonymous, street artists working today. Banksy, the pseudonym adopted by the artist, guards his privacy and the details of his life remain largely unknown to the public. He initially garnered fame for his graffiti, which combines spray paint and stenciling techniques with commercial, political, and contemporary imagery, infused with ironic social commentary and humor. His work first began appearing on walls in and around Bristol and London’s Shoreditch district during the mid-1990s, and he has since gone on to place images on the sides of corporate buildings, billboards, and the Israeli West Bank wall.

The unveiling of a new Banksy works often incorporates pranks or performance. For example, he secretly added his own pieces in museums like the Tate Modern in London or the Paris Louvre, smuggling them in under a coat and discreetly affixing them to a wall. He has also opened gallery shows to the public with specially-bred rats running around the space, and once inserted an inflatable doll dressed as a Guantanamo Bay prisoner into the Disneyland theme park in California.

In 2015, Banksy created a large-scale installation titled Dismaland Bemusement Park, and immersive and fully functional amusement park that featured political commentary on the distribution of wealth, sexism, and the UK government. The park operated from August to September of 2015, was funded by Banksy himself. In addition to his regular graffiti practice, Banksy creates works for several charities, and consistently opens exhibitions to wide audiences and critical acclaim. He lives and works in England.