Because I'm Worthless (pink)
Because I'm Worthless (pink)
Unsigned Print
Banksy
50 x 35cm, Edition of 175, Screenprint, 2004
£14,500-£22,000
$28,000-$40,000 Market Value Indicator
$27,000-$40,000 Market Value Indicator
¥130,000-¥200,000 Market Value Indicator
€17,000-€26,000 Market Value Indicator
$150,000-$230,000 Market Value Indicator
¥3,170,000-¥4,810,000 Market Value Indicator
$20,000-$30,000 Market Value Indicator
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Meaning & Analysis
The highest buyer-paid value for this artwork was £56,250 in March 2021 and is the most recent sale. The total sales volume is two, and the hammer price varies, ranging from £13,889 in March 2019 to £45,000 in March 2021, and the return to the seller ranges from £11,806 to £38,250, showing an increase in value and yielded return over a two-year holding period. This work is rare to the market and has sold in London at Christie’s and Forum Auctions.
In this print, Banksy uses one of his most popular symbols, the rat, which simultaneously references the famous French graffiti artist Blek Le Rat. Banksy regularly uses the rat as a motif in a number of his artworks - whether this is a pure coincidence or whether it’s because “rat” is an anagram of art is not certain. The image shows a rat in Banksy’s signature stencil-style, wearing a Peace chain, holding a placard that drips in red (or pink) graffiti reading, ‘Because I’m Worthless.'
As with all Banksy artwork, there may be multiple interpretations to this much sought-after screen print. Since Banksy usually uses the rat to symbolise the average working-class person, one possible meaning could be a reflection on how society deems such “vermin” worthless. However, Banksy is also slightly mocking the L’Oreal slogan ‘Because I’m Worth it’, which might be seen as a subversive nod to neoliberal consumer capitalism and its relationship to the exploitation of the working class.
The Banksy Placard Rat series also includes Get Out While You Can and Welcome To Hell.
