Grannies Banksy

Banksy, Grannies, unsigned screenprint edition of 600, 2006

This sardonic, original, screenprint by British Street Artist Banksy was released as part of the seminal exhibition Barely Legal which took place in California, Los Angeles in September  2006 and was the artists first major foray into the US. The unsigned print was released in an edition of 600, whilst 150 signed prints were also made available. Grannies features a blocked pink background, with two elderly ladies sitting on two aged armchairs enjoying the types of things grannies enjoy, knitting jumpers and drinking tea. However, on closer inspection, the slogans on the jumpers read, ‘Punk's Not Dead’, and ‘Thug For Life’. This piece is often considered to be one of the most humorous images of the Barely Legal exhibition. Both grannies appear quietly pleased with themselves, as they fly in the face of cultural norms, but, nothing Banksy does is ever so simple, and there is an argument to suggest that this goes much deeper. It is possible that Grannies is a commentary on the way in which black culture or counter-culture is appropriated and white-washed.