HMV Banksy
Find out more about Banksy’s HMV series, browse prints & editions for sale & view the works wanted by active buyers right now.
In HMV, also known as His Master’s Voice or Rocket Dog, Banksy appropriates the iconic logo of the British popular music and entertainment firm of the same name that was created in the 1920s. The company logo derives from a painting by the Liverpudlian artist Francis Barraud that depicts a dog, called Nipper, listening intently to a cylinder phonograph.
Much like the original logo, Banksy’s print depicts a seated dog in profile, facing a gramophone. Here, however, with his usual irony Banksy reinvents the image, portraying the anthropomorphic dog casually aiming a shoulder-mounted bazooka rocket directly into the horn of the gramophone.
The monochromatic composition is formally rendered in Banksy’s signature stencil style, but with the exclusive, inverse use of a black background with contrasting white detail in the foreground.
HMV was first tagged on the streets of Banksy’s hometown of Bristol in early 2000 and featured the message "Keep back 200ft". In the same year, the artist spray painted the HMV dog motif on the walls of the courtyard of the Cargo nightclub in London, this time with a colourful background consisting of abstract yellow and orange forms. It was a collaboration with the street artist Style, who graffitied the writing. Cargo can be found on Rivington Street in the middle of Shoreditch, an area that many consider to be the thriving heart of street art in the UK capital. The renowned venue is built inside an old railway tunnel with brick walls laden with colourful graffiti. Acclaimed as a local masterpiece, Banksy's work has been protected by perspex for about 15 years now and crowds still gather to see it.
Banksy's HMV dog appeared on paintings of various sizes in the early 2000s and was later released in 50cm x 35cm print format in 2003. It was released as an edition of 600 unsigned prints and only 150 signed HMV prints.
Why is HMV important?
At first glance this piece conveys a dark sense of humour. But as with all works from Banksy, there is room for many interpretations. One could read it as the artist targeting the music industry and, perhaps on a larger scope, any mass-production company. As the dog is clearly ready to open fire on what symbolises the music industry, this may represent Banksy’s desire to take down stores like HMV and similar entities that market mainstream culture.
But he may also be commenting on the losing battle of music retailers in the digital era. On a deeper level, this art piece shows a contrast between youth and old age. The gramophone evokes the past generations and conservatism. Banksy's decision to include an archaic item in his composition can be regarded as a critique of the old as the dog is determined to destroy it so as to leave room for the new. The armed dog, akin to a video game character, embodies youth and thus its victory on conservatism.
How do I buy HMV?
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