Banksy's Turbo Zone Truck

Turbo Zone Truck (Laugh Now But One Day We'll Be in Charge) (2000) is a truly unique work of art from Banksy's formative years, illustrating an array of iconic motifs that have become the artist's signature and calling-card.

Created at the turn of the millennia, the hand-painted truck is a mobile testament to Banksy's longstanding, breakthrough vandalism of art's old-hat approach to painting on canvas and paintings in galleries. Taking the vehicle of the workman and the blue-collar employee as his blank canvas, the work of art revels in Banksy's raw and unfiltered wit; a masterclass of the artist's satirical humour and impressive dexterity with spray-paint.

Awash with images of anarchy and unruly subjects, Turbo Zone Truck illustrates a variety of Banksy's most prominent and sought-after characters, from the winged monkeys and SWAT teams, to the short lyrics that decorate the lorry's side. Icons that have appeared in many iterations throughout Banksy's career – on buildings, canvases and editions – this Volvo FL6 features what are believed to be some of the first emergences of these images and words.

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Invited to southern Spain in 1999, Banksy was propositioned to paint the Volvo lorry in anticipation of a warehouse party that had been planned for the New Year and millennium celebrations in 2000. After spraying the initial layers of paint on stage and under spotlights during the party, Banksy completed the truck over the next two weeks, detailing and rendering the artwork in a prototypical, free-hand style. In the subsequent years, the truck toured Europe and South America with Turbozone Circus, a company known for their pyrotechnics.

Bonhams will be offering Banksy’s 1988 Volvo FL6 Turbo Zone Truck at their upcoming Goodwood Revival sale held on the 14th September. It’s expected to fetch over £1 million. For more information on this and other vehicles at the sale, click on the link below. Photos © Courtesy of Bonhams.

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ArtKit Boothby