Morons
In Morons, Banksy takes a shot at the art world's elitism and absurd wealth. Reimagining the historic sale of Van Gogh's Sunflowers for a record-breaking £22,500,000, he replaces the painting with a sign reading: "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU MORONS ACTUALLY BUY THIS SHIT." It's classically Banksy - ironic and meta - and a comment on his own buyers, too.
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Meaning & Analysis
A scathing satire of the art market, Banksy’s 2006 Morons screen print depicts an auctioneer conducting a packed sale. It was first displayed at the artist’s exhibition, Barely Legal, which took place in a warehouse in Los Angeles that same year.
Morons is one of six Banksy prints belonging to a rare and valuable collection referred to as the Barely Legal print set, which also includes the works Grannies, Applause, Trolleys, Sale Ends and Festival. Morons is one of the most detailed and intricate works in the series.
Morons is based on the historic moment when, in 1987, Van Gogh's Sunflowers achieved a hammer price of £22,500,000 at Christie’s, setting the record price for the highest auction price paid for any work of art at that time. This moment marked the beginning of colossal changes in the art market, characterised by the emergence of the first ‘mega lot’ auctions.
In Morons, the large canvas up for auction bears the bold words, written in block capitals: ‘I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU MORONS ACTUALLY BUY THIS SHIT’. Here, Banksy mocks art collectors the world over who are ready to bid huge sums of money in order to acquire artworks by himself, or other famous artists. Ironically, the Morons screen print was included in a 2014 Sotheby’s exhibition curated by Steve Lazarides, entitled 'Banksy: The Unauthorized Retrospective'.
Morons was originally released at the exhibition in an edition of 100 unsigned prints, printed by Modern Multiples, which sold for $500 a piece. In 2007, Banksy’s UK-based printer Pictures of Walls re-issued additional Morons prints in three different colours; these joined a further 500 unsigned and 150 signed prints of the image rendered in monochrome, as well as 300 signed prints featuring a sepia background. The original LA edition differs from those released by Pictures of Walls, with the inclusion of a gold frame around one of the paintings portrayed within the print.
10 Facts About Banksy’s Morons
