(Fr)agile
1 work
Banksy Love is in the Air, Flower Thrower Unsigned For Sale
Banksy
Love is in the Air, Flower Thrower Unsigned, 2003
Screen print
19 3/4 x 27 1/2 in 50 x 70 cm
Edition
Edition of 500
About this work
Banksy's Love is in the Air (also known as the Flower Thrower) is a seminal piece within the oeuvre of the enigmatic street artist. Created in 2005, this stencil artwork immediately captured global attention for its powerful imagery and thought-provoking message. Depicting a figure clad in a hoodie, his face obscured by a bandana, mid-throw with a bouquet of flowers instead of a weapon, Love is in the Air subverts traditional notions of violence and protest, offering a poignant commentary on the potential for love and peace to triumph over conflict and aggression.At first glance, the image appears straightforward—a protester engaged in an act of defiance, perhaps against authority or injustice. However, upon closer examination, the bouquet of flowers transforms the narrative, challenging viewers to reconsider their assumptions and prejudices. In Banksy's world, the act of throwing flowers becomes a symbol of hope, resistance, and humanity—a gesture of love in the face of adversity.The juxtaposition of the figure's militant stance with the delicate beauty of the flowers creates a striking visual contrast, underscoring the dichotomy between destruction and creation, violence and compassion. By repurposing a symbol of protest—often associated with anger and confrontation—into one of peace and compassion, Banksy invites viewers to question the efficacy of violence as a means of enacting change and to consider alternative forms of resistance rooted in empathy and solidarity.Moreover, Love is in the Air speaks to the universal human desire for connection and understanding. In a world plagued by conflict and division, Banksy's message resonates deeply, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. The figure's anonymity further emphasizes the universality of the message, allowing viewers from all walks of life to project their own hopes and fears onto the artwork.Since its creation, Love is in the Air has become one of Banksy's most iconic and widely recognized works, celebrated for its bold imagery and profound social commentary. The image has been reproduced on countless merchandise, murals, and even tattooed on the bodies of devoted fans, cementing its status as a cultural touchstone and a symbol of resistance and resilience.In the years since its inception, Love is in the Air has taken on new meanings and interpretations, evolving alongside the ever-changing socio-political landscape. Yet, its core message remains as relevant as ever—a testament to Banksy's enduring influence and ability to provoke thought and inspire action through his art. As long as there is strife and injustice in the world, Love is in the Air will continue to serve as a beacon of hope and a reminder of the transformative power of love and compassion.
Price on Application
Auction History
Love is in the Air · Banksy · Christie's · 2020-12 · $687,500
Love is in the Air · Banksy · Christie's · 2021-04 · $883,762
Love is in the air · Banksy · Phillips · 2021-04 · $585,993
More from this series
More series by Banksy
About the Love Is in the Air (Flower Thrower) Series
Banksy Love Is in the Air (Flower Thrower) Prints For Sale
Banksy's "Love Is in the Air (Flower Thrower)" stands as one of the most iconic and widely recognized images in contemporary street art, representing a pivotal moment in the artist's ascension to global cultural phenomenon. Originally stenciled on a wall in Jerusalem in 2003, the image depicts a masked protester in the act of throwing—not a Molotov cocktail or stone—but a bouquet of flowers. This powerful subversion of violent imagery into a symbol of hope and peace has resonated across generations, making it among Banksy's most sought-after and commercially successful motifs. The series encompasses multiple iterations spanning from 2002 to 2019, including rare signed editions, variations with distinctive elements like stars, and large-scale triptychs that demonstrate the image's enduring relevance.
The technical execution of the Flower Thrower series exemplifies Banksy's masterful stencil work and strategic use of limited edition releases. Works range from the original 2002 canvas versions to sophisticated multi-panel triptychs produced in 2019, including exclusive VIP editions. The signed 2003 versions represent particularly significant acquisitions, as Banksy's authenticated signatures substantially enhance provenance and market value. Each iteration—whether the 2008 wall piece, the star-adorned variant, or unsigned editions—contributes to understanding the evolution of this seminal image. The transition from street installation to collectible fine art prints and canvases reflects Banksy's unique position bridging underground culture and the established art market.
From a market perspective, the Flower Thrower series commands exceptional demand among serious collectors and institutions. The work's anti-war message combined with its aesthetic accessibility has driven consistent appreciation, with signed and rare variants achieving premium results at auction. The 2019 triptych releases demonstrate Banksy's continued engagement with this imagery, introducing fresh formats while maintaining the compositional power of the original. Collectors value these works not only for their investment potential but for their cultural significance as defining statements of 21st-century political art.
For collectors seeking authenticated works from the Love Is in the Air series, Guy Hepner maintains an expertly curated selection with comprehensive provenance documentation and market expertise.
About Banksy
Banksy prints for sale at Guy Hepner include authenticated signed and unsigned editions: Girl with Balloon, Choose Your Weapon, Tesco Soup Cans, Fragile, Laugh Now, and Flower Thrower. Buy Banksy prints in New York through our gallery at 177 Tenth Avenue — all works sourced with full provenance and authentication documentation. We also buy Banksy art and offer free valuations for sellers.
Banksy is the world’s most celebrated anonymous street artist — a figure whose identity remains unknown but whose visual language is instantly recognisable across continents. Emerging from the Bristol graffiti scene in the early 1990s, Banksy developed a stencil-based technique that allowed rapid, precise execution on walls, bridges, and public surfaces from London and New York to Gaza and the West Bank. His work fuses dark humour, political provocation, and formal rigour in a way that has made him equally at home on the street and in the auction room. Today, Banksy art for sale represents one of the most dynamic and hotly contested segments of the contemporary secondary market.
Banksy Art For Sale
Banksy art for sale encompasses original spray-painted canvases, unique works on board, signed and unsigned print editions, and — on rare occasions — documented wall works sold with photographic authentication. The breadth of subjects he has addressed is remarkable: consumer capitalism (Tesco Soup Cans, Trolley Hunters), celebrity culture (Kate Moss, Andy Warhol), surveillance and control (Radar Rat, CCTV Watching), and hope and fragility (Girl with Balloon, Fragile).
The benchmark auction event in Banksy’s market history remains the October 2018 Sotheby’s London sale, when Girl with Balloon — having just sold for £1.04 million — was partially shredded by a device concealed in the frame, becoming Love is in the Bin. The reconstituted work subsequently sold in October 2021 for £18.5 million, underscoring the extraordinary commercial power of Banksy’s interventions and the appetite of the global collector base for his most iconic imagery.
Banksy Paintings For Sale
Banksy paintings for sale — unique spray-painted works on canvas or board — are the rarest and most valuable category of his output. These works, typically produced in small numbers for specific shows or commissions, carry full documentation from Pest Control and have appeared at auction with results ranging from six to eight figures. Choose Your Weapon, Monkey Parliament, and large-format stencil canvases from his early 2000s output represent the apex of private collector demand.
Provenance is paramount for Banksy paintings. Unbroken ownership history from first sale through to the present day, combined with a current Pest Control certificate, is the minimum standard for any serious acquisition. Works without this documentation carry substantial authentication risk regardless of visual appearance.
Banksy Prints: Signed vs Unsigned
Banksy print editions form the most accessible and widely traded category of his market. Published through his own distribution channels and in very limited numbers, these screenprints exist in signed and unsigned variants — a distinction that has a significant impact on value. Signed editions — with Banksy’s hand signature — command multiples of two to five times comparable unsigned editions in the same print run.
Key print series sought by collectors include: Girl with Balloon (multiple colourways), Choose Your Weapon, Kate Moss, Tesco Soup Cans, Fragile, Radar Rat, Flower Thrower, and Di-Faced Tenners. Edition sizes vary from as few as 150 to several hundred, and sell-through rates at auction confirm strong secondary demand across all major series.
Banksy Authentication: Pest Control
Pest Control is Banksy’s official authentication body and the only organisation authorised to certify works as genuine. When you buy Banksy prints or original art, a current Pest Control Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is the non-negotiable standard. The COA features a torn currency note — half retained by Pest Control, half with the work — as a security measure, and is registered against a specific edition and owner.
At Guy Hepner Gallery, every Banksy work offered for sale is accompanied by Pest Control documentation. We do not offer works without verified authentication, and our team is available to guide collectors through the acquisition process, including condition reporting, framing recommendations, and insurance valuation.
Ready to buy Banksy art? Contact Guy Hepner to explore our current inventory of authenticated Banksy prints and original works.