John Brandler, a leading specialist dealer in graffiti artists, said: “I believe that this is a genuine Banksy, but it has taken three years for these collectors to get nowhere with Pest Control. This is pure market manipulation, because Banksy will only certify works that he wants particular individuals to have.
“That’s not authentication. If someone discovers a Titian in an attic, nobody says: ‘Who are you and why have you got it?’ It’s a Titian or it isn’t. With Banksy, it’s: ‘Who are you and why should I tell you?’”
But Brandler observed that Banksy’s prices are “well down on what they were three years ago”. He singled out Police Car, which depicts a vehicle lifted up on bricks: “Two to three years ago, it would have fetched between £1.5m and £2m. It sold in Paris about a month ago for €300,000.”
Brandler Galleries
11/03/2024
