Golf Sale Banksy

Banksy, Golf Sale, signed screenprint edition of 150, 2003

In Golf Sale, Banksy reimagines the 1989 Unknown Protester incident in Tiananmen Square. In his typical monochromatic stencil style, Banksy’s signed Golf Sale print depicts a line of three military tanks approaching a lone man, who is holding a placard which reads ‘Golf Sale’, and includes an arrow pointing in the direction of the sale. The placard reinforces the mans actions as a protester, but is contrasted with the commercial messaging on the sign itself. In reality, the Unknown Protester stood for some minutes in front of the foremost tank and moved into its path each time the tank attempted to go around him. Capitalism and warfare are themes Banksy regularly revisits in his work across murals and signed/unsigned prints. Banksy is quoted as saying that capitalism must crumble before the world can change, so perhaps here he is suggested the military turn their attention and their weapons on rampant capitalism, and is handily pointing them in the right direction. The signed print was released in 2003 as an edition of 150 and is said to be one of his very first prints.