A car door, once part of a larger mural titled Crazy Horse by renowned British artist Banksy has recently surfaced for auction via Julien*s auction house. The work, executed through aerosol painting on a car door, emanates from the artist’s 2013 installation in New York City’s Lower East Side and represents a blend of street art and socio-political commentary — a regular and signature theme for the artist.
Crazy Horse was a central feature of Banksy’s installation near Ludlow and Stanton streets. The art encompassed two vehicles, depicting a powerful scene: stampeding horses bearing down on a group of terrified people. This imagery was further intensified by an audio component – a phone number that, when dialed, played clips from a 2007 Apache airstrike in Baghdad. This particular airstrike, which tragically resulted in the death of two Reuters correspondents, was carried out by a helicopter with the call sign “Crazy Horse 18,” lending the artwork its poignant title.
The audio clips, released by Wikileaks in 2010 under the title “Collateral Murder,” highlighted the chilling indifference of the soldiers involved in the airstrike. The unsettling nature of the dialogue, including a soldier’s remark, “Oh well. Well it’s their fault for bringing their kids to a battle,” adds a layer of harsh reality to the artwork.
Notably, the piece debuted on October 9, 2013, as a part of the artist’s much-publicized New York City residency titled Better Out Than In. The residency’s name is a nod to a quote attributed to the 19th-century Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne, which in part reads “…all pictures inside, in the studio, will never be as good as those painted outside.”
The auction, live at the time of writing, not only presents Crazy Horse but also includes a custom-built display stand accompanied by an original, paint-splattered traffic cone from the installation. Measuring 71 x 40.5 x 30 inches, this piece is a testament to Banksy’s ability to fuse art with social consciousness.
Learn more about the work in the video below or place a bid via Julien*s official site.
