Flower Thrower

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Flower Thrower
Original mural in Beit Sahour in 2020
ArtistBanksy
Year2003 (2003)

The Flower Thrower, Flower Bomber, Rage, or Love is in the Air is a 2003 stencil mural in Beit Sahour in the West Bank by the graffiti artist Banksy, depicting a masked man throwing a bunch of flowers.[1] It is considered one of Banksy's most iconic works; the image has been widely replicated.[1]

It was inspired by images of 1960s protests, such as Bruno Barbey photograph of the May 68 protests in France (e.g. his photograph of Boulevard Saint-Germain, 6th arrondissement, Paris, France. May 6, 1968).[2]

An earlier version was originally drawn by Banksy in 1999 and presented at his first exhibition in 2000.[3]

Studio Release[edit]

Flower Thrower was released as a screenprint edition of 150 signed versions and 600 unsigned versions by the publishers Pictures on Walls in 2003. The work features the motif of the masked man set on a red background.[4]

The motif was also used overlaid against a red CCCP text in 2003 in an edition of 8 to 10 known as CCCP Love is in the Air.[5] On the 13th of July 2023, an example of CCCP Love Is In The Air sold for £53,340 at the "New Now" auction Phillips auction house, London.[6]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Enrico Bonadio & Olivia Jean-Baptiste: Banksy’s Battle with Trade Mark Law: the ‘Flower Thrower’ Case, NUART JOURNAL 2021 VOLUME 3 NUMBER 1 22–27
  2. ^ Blanché, U. (2020). "Banksys Flower Thrower – Hintergrund und Kontext". In Andreas Veits; Lukas R.A. Wilde; Klaus Sachs-Hombach (eds.). Einzelbild & Narrativität: Theorien, Zugänge, offene Fragen (in German). Herbert von Halem Verlag. pp. 41–55. ISBN 978-3-86962-402-0.
  3. ^ Blanché, U. (2020). "Banksys Flower Trower – Hintergrund und Kontext". In Andreas Veits; Lukas R.A. Wilde; Klaus Sachs-Hombach (eds.). Einzelbild & Narrativität: Theorien, Zugänge, offene Fragen (in German). Herbert von Halem Verlag. pp. 41–55. ISBN 978-3-86962-402-0. Im Ramen seiner ersten öffentlichen Ausstellung (Februar 2000) im Restaurant Severnshed mit dem Titel »Banksy Exhibition. New Paintings, Photographs and Graffiti« zeigte eine der im Rahmen dessen, im Ausstellungstitel erwähnten Fotografien auch in Foto der Frontalversion. Das Foto betitelte Banksy selbst mit »Flower Bomber, Bristol 1999. © Bristol Photography«
  4. ^ "Banksy Love is in the Air | Meaning & History". Andipa Editions. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  5. ^ "Banksy CCCP Love is in the Air | Meaning & History". Andipa Editions. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  6. ^ "Banksy - New Now London Thursday, July 13, 2023". Phillips. Retrieved 2023-07-18.