A Banksy mural painted in 1998 is set to go to auction in Paris later this summer. The piece, named Silent Majority, painted on the side of a semi-truck offers a unique look at a work done early in Banksy's now iconic career.
Banksy painted the mural during a festival, and the owners of the truck provide a fascinating back story to the piece. "Silent Majority was performed at the 1998 Glastonbury Festival performance during a three-day graffiti. Banksy then asked if he could use one side of the truck as a large white canvas. The real goal of Silent Majority was to portray the rave party scene of that time," the owners wrote in a letter.
The piece has Banksy's signature political slant with people dressed as soldiers and helicopters encroaching upon a speaker in a raft. The words read, "It’s better not to rely too much on silent majorities for silence is a fragile thing. One loud noise and it’s gone."
The piece is signed by Banksy and comes with an official certificate of its authenticity from Pest Control, Banksy's handling service. It is expected to fetch somewhere between £300,000 and £400,000, roughly $448,000 and $600,000, in auction at Digard Auction House on June 1, 2015.
[via artlyst]
