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Banksy’s Former Manager Auctions Artwork, Collects $1.4 Million

Steve Lazarides, who once managed the enigmatic street artist Banksy, recently auctioned a significant collection of prints and original works associated with the artist, amassing around $1.4 million. The auction was conducted through Julien’s Auctions on October 31, marking a notable moment in the ever-evolving narrative of Banksy’s artistic legacy.

Lazarides, who has been connected to Banksy for over 25 years, shared his sentiments about selling the collection, emphasizing his desire to return to his passion for photography. “This has been a large part of my life for the last 25 years, whether I was working with him or not,” he mentioned in an interview with the Guardian.

The auction’s centerpiece was an original print of Girl With Balloon (circa 2004), which fetched an impressive $104,000. Another notable sale was a proof print of Love Is in the Air (aka Flower Thrower) (circa 2003), which sold for $45,500, alongside a hand-cut stencil of Banksy’s signature that went for $58,500.

Lazarides first encountered Banksy in Bristol in 1997 while working on a project for Sleazenation magazine. Their collaboration blossomed with Lazarides managing the commercial side of Banksy’s art, where they priced unsigned prints affordably at £35, while signed prints were £150. As Lazarides explained, their goal was to democratize art, enabling more people to engage with Banksy’s work.

In a 2019 interview with Barnebys, Lazarides expressed that financial motives were not their primary concern. He pointed out that the significant profits garnered in the secondary market often benefited resellers more than Banksy himself, noting that a print originally sold for £200 could now reach values of up to £800,000.

However, as the market for Banksy’s art escalated, Lazarides grew uneasy about the commercialization of works that were originally intended to challenge societal norms. “He never went into it for money,” he remarked. “It wasn’t fine art. This was on the streets for everybody.” This tension eventually led him to leave his managerial role in 2008 to focus on other artistic collaborations.

Post-Banksy, Lazarides has worked with various contemporary artists, including Jonathan Yeo, JR, and Vhils. He also published a book titled Banksy Captured, offering an inside glimpse into Banksy’s rise to fame and the experiences they shared.

The auction included more than just artworks; Lazarides also offered various artifacts tied to Banksy, such as handwritten press releases, installation notes, and even a pair of worn Puma sneakers used during an exhibition.

Included in the sale were also 15 burner phones, which Lazarides strategically used to communicate with Banksy while shielding the artist’s identity from a persistent media. Reflecting on that time, he noted, “The media was chasing us around the clock,” highlighting the pressures associated with managing such an unconventional figure in the art world.

As he transitions back to focusing on photography, Lazarides appears ready to leave this chapter of his life behind, reflecting a journey deeply intertwined with one of contemporary art’s most fascinating and enigmatic figures.

Source
www.smithsonianmag.com