Man on a Mission: John P O'Sullivan Traces the Colourful Career of Artist John Kelly
31 May 2021Irish Arts Review | John P O'Sullivan
News & Video
Banksy Does the Business
19 May 2021Financial Review | Gabriella Coslovich
In Australia and around the world the irreverent British graffiti artist is becoming more sought after and the prices at auction have become as much a talking point as the works themselves.
In his 2005 monograph Wall and Piece the elusive British street artist Banksy wrote ‘Despite what they say graffiti is not the lowest form of art’. And if the measure of merit is in the price people are prepared to pay for an artist’s work (an enduringly debatable point), then Banksy has proved himself right many times over.
Australian Who Found Authentic Banksy Print for $300 Sells it for Staggering $184,000
14 May 20217 NEWS | Alex Turner-Cohen
One Australian has walked away almost $200,000 richer after a lucky find at an art store in Sydney. In 2003, a customer walked into the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) store in Sydney’s Circular Quay and picked up a Bansky print for less than $300. The painting was a copy of infamous street artist Banksy’s iconic Love Is In The Air with a red background, which depicts a protester throwing flowers. After the purchase, Smith and Singer, Australia’s auction house for paintings, discovered that the artwork was indeed authentic as it was number 450 of an edition of 500 printed by Banksy in 2003.
On Thursday night, 17 years after it was first purchased, the print sold for $184,091 on the international market.
Banksy Print Bought for $300 Sets Record Australian Price at Auction
14 May 2021The Age | Kerrie O'Brien
An Australian record has been set for the sale of a Banksy print with the anonymous artist’s Love Is In the Air (2003) selling at auction for nearly $200,000. Purchased by an unidentified bidder in America, it was offered in a single-lot, 10-day, online auction by Smith & Singer on Wednesday night and attracted bidders from around the world. It sold for $184,091, doubling the previous Australian record of $73,000.
A $300 Banksy Artwork Bought at the MCA Store in 2003 has Emerged as the Art Bargain of a Lifetime.
4 May 2021The Daily Telegraph | Elizabeth Fortescue
A Banksy screen print picked up at the MCA Store at Circular Quay for less than $300 in 2003 is estimated to fetch its lucky owner between $100,000 and $150,000 at auction this month, eclipsing Banksy’s Australian auction record.
Banksy’s Love Is In The Air is number 450 of an edition of 500 printed in 2003, according to Smith and Singer auctioneers’ chairman Geoffrey Smith.
Anonymous Buyer who Picked up a $300 Banksy Print in a Museum Gift Shop Discovers it’s an ORIGINAL
4 May 2021The Mail on Sunday | Jack Mahony
A lucky customer who bought a Banksy print from a museum gift shop for 'less than $300' is expected to pocked $150,000 from its sale after it turned out to be an original planted by the mystery artist.
The owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, bought the work in Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art in 2003.
Herald Sun | Elizabeth Fortescue
A $300 Banksy artwork bought at the MCA Store in 2003 has emerged as the art bargain of a lifetime. A Banksy screen print picked up at the MCA Store at Circular Quay for less than $300 in 2003 is estimated to fetch its lucky owner between $100,000 and $150,000 at auction this month, eclipsing Banksy’s Australian auction record.
Banksy’s Love Is In The Air is number 450 of an edition of 500 printed in 2003, according to Smith and Singer auctioneers’ chairman Geoffrey Smith.
Records Fall as Millions Spent on Paintings, Diamond
21 April 2021Financial Review | Gabriella Coslovich
Three million-dollar paintings, six new auction records, and Australia’s first million-dollar diamond were all realised in Sydney on Tuesday night, emphasising the ongoing strength of the secondary art market. Deprived of their international getaways, Australia’s richest, many of whose fortunes have grown during the pandemic, are splashing out at home, and the auction industry is a clear beneficiary. The money needs to go somewhere, and why not on art and luxury goods – tangible art and luxury goods no less.
Old Guard Leads as Art Market gets set for $16m Week
15 April 2021Financial Review | Gabriella Coslovich
Collectors will be spoilt for choice next week as more than $16 million in art goes under the hammer at Deutscher and Hackett, Smith & Singer, and Bonhams. No fewer than four million-dollar-plus paintings by blue-chip artists will be offered – three of them by Smith & Singer.
Post-war Antique Furniture Growing in Value
13 March 2021The Sydney Morning Herald | Stephen Crafti
Furniture from the post-war period saw a number of great proponents, with many European designers making their mark in Australia.
One of the most acclaimed is cabinet-maker and artist Schulim Krimper, described as the “Gio Ponti” – an Italian designer of great note – of Australia by Geoffrey Smith, chair of Smith and Singer (formerly Sotheby’s Australia).