Featured in Best of British: Banksy's Axe

Axe is a collaboration between Banksy and Spanish artist Escif. The two artists collaborated to create a tongue-in-cheek sculpture that appears almost cartoon-like in its simplicity and wit. At first glance, it looks like a regular axe stuck into a piece of wood. But, upon closer inspection, the viewer sees the axe is growing a flower out of its handle, which, while smooth near the blade, becomes rough and more “natural” towards the handle. Once more, Banksy strikes with his creative genius, as the axe – a tool used to destroy living trees – becomes not only a living tree itself but also a life source…

Details:

Axe (2019)
Mixed media sculpture
92 x 20 x 55 cm
Signed by Banksy and Escif
Edition of 10
POA

‘Blood for Oil’ By Escif

Street artist Escif is well-known for their clean-style graffiti, which verges on illustration, and the powerful sentiments he conveys via his works. He is mainly based in Valencia. The artist shares Banksy's perspective, frequently making comments about the harm caused by the government, business, and technology.

The piece has been interpreted as a pacifist statement due to its references to Banksy's early work Love Is In The Air (Flower Thrower), which features a man wearing a bandana over his face and is frozen in the act of throwing flowers—rather than bricks or molotov cocktails—at an invisible target. Other references include Bernie Boston's well-known image of a man inserting a flower into the barrel of a soldier's gun during a Vietnam War protest, titled Flower Power. A similar message from environmentalists may be sent by the axe and the flower, urging us to cherish our forests more in light of the growing climate problem.

‘Flower Power’ By Bernie Boston

The significance of this partnership lies in Banksy's body of work. Although he freely admits to stealing pieces of art from other artists, including Basquiat or Blek le Rat, he is not well-known for collaborating with other artists.

The artwork was originally offered for sale as a part of Banksy's new 'homewares brand', Gross Domestic Product, which he launched in October 2019 in reaction to the possibility that a greeting card firm might sue him for trademark infringement. A new line of goods and artwork was consequently developed, many of them in the same style as the current piece and delivering clever commentary on some of the darker or more desperate facets of modern life.

‘Axe’ first became available to view during the unveiling of the ‘Gross Domestic Product’ store where Banksy filled a shopfront in Croydon with the collection of new artworks and then announced the surprise venture on social media.

Banksy’s Axe featured in the Gross Domestic Product storefront in Croydon

Banksy’s ‘Axe’ is now available to purchase from Extraordinary Objects, please get in touch for further details.