With the arrival of a major new show devoted to street art at our flagship gallery in Mayfair, put the opening date of 5th May in your diary and discover just some of the reasons to visit ‘Street Life’, which maps the roots of this pivotal art movement.
1. Get your hands on a classic Banksy
Banksy has become known as the world’s best-known street artist, with new murals hitting the headlines in Ukraine and Margate and his art continuing to attract strong demand from collectors and investors. Among the Banksy works on display at ‘Street Life’ is Lab Rat, an extremely rare painting that shows Banksy’s skills with a paintbrush, alongside an original spraypainted Plaster Heart and a series of limited-edition prints, including the iconic Flying Copper. Following the recent boom in prices, stability has returned to the Banksy market, making him a strong investment choice once again.
Banksy, Lab Rat, 2000, Spray paint and Acrylic on marine ply and integral painted metal
2. Discover an original work by Invader made from Rubik's Cubes
In 2005, the French street artist Invader invented a term for a new genre of art he pioneered using the Rubik’s Cube as a medium. Rubikcubism is defined by the artist with typical wit and humour as a “fine art school developed in Paris in the early 21st century”. With Invader’s signed prints a favourite among Maddox collectors, Wipe Out is a rare opportunity to see an original artwork from the artist’s Rubikcubism series, created from thousands of miniature pieces of Rubik’s Cube.
Invader, Wipeout, 2005, Rubik's cubes
3. Decipher the secret language of Retna
Known for his unique brand of visual linguistics and urban poetry, communicated via large-scale canvases, two unique artworks by RETNA are on display as part of ‘Street Life’, each measuring more than 2 metres in height. Stand in front of one of these towering works, featuring mysterious lines of verse painted in acrylics, and you will feel the power of RETNA’s coded messages, which sit somewhere between written communication and abstract art.
RETNA, Eye Can't Live With You Eye Can't Live Without You, 2016, Acrylic on Canvas
4. Get acquainted with one of KAWS' Campanions
At more than 1-metre tall, KAWS’ Four Foot Companion is the most Instagram-worthy of all the artwork on display at ‘Street Life’. Ever since he unveiled his first Companion toy in 1999, KAWS has been one of the biggest disruptors in the contemporary art market. Part collectible toy, part art sculpture, his Companions, which are owned by the likes of Drake, Pharrell Williams and DJ Khaled, appropriate beloved characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Snoopy and, most famously, Mickey Mouse – the inspiration behind Four Foot Companion.
KAWS, Four Foot Companion, 2009, Painted Cast Vinyl
5. Discover the next generation of street art
Still in his 20s, Franco Campanella, better known as Lefty Out There, has emerged as one of the most exciting young street artists at work today. Known for his signature squiggles – a series of intuitive repeated shapes which the artist describes as polymorphs – his 2022 show in London with Maddox was a fully immersive gallery experience, with art spilling over into all corners of the space. Counterbalance and Patina, two original Lefty Out There artworks, are among the highlights of our ‘Street Life’ exhibition.
Lefty Out There, Counterbalance, 2023, Acrylic, Birch and Poplar
