Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
Mixed Media
Banksy
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90 x 90cm, Edition of 2, Mixed Media
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Meaning & Analysis
Banksy's rare Sid Vicious canvas, made in 2000, pays tribute to the punk bassist. With an edition size of just 2, the stencilled portrait is repeated in a grid in reference to Warhol's serialisation, and to police mugshots. The central target symbolizes society's scrutiny of nonconformists.
The canvas was part of Banksy’s exhibition Laugh Now which was shown at MOCO in the Netherlands. The canvas depicts Sid Vicious, the notorious bass guitarist and singer of the Punk band Sex Pistols. The canvas resonates strongly with Andy Warhol’s Pop Art aesthetic and could easily be mistaken for one of Warhol’s prints from the 1960s.
In this canvas, Vicious is rendered in a Pop Art style with his portrait being repeated in a grid formation against a pink backdrop. The Pop Art movement was closely associated with notions of popular culture, consumerism and the mainstream. By depicting the musician in this style, Banksy comments satirically on the values associated with the Punk movement, such as anti-establishment views, anti-commercialism and individualism,
This canvas can be seen alongside Warhol's Marilyn Diptych which shows Monroe’s portrait in a repetition of 25 screen prints on canvas. Banksy often appropriates the work of other famous artists and a notable example is his use of Keith Haring’s signature dog in Choose Your Weapon.