Legendary bassist and Blink 182 frontman Mark Hoppus is putting his rare Banksy painting thought to be worth up to £5m GBP at auction at Sotheby’s London this coming March.
Owning the painting since 2011, LA native Hoppus has decided to sell the unique work and reinvest the proceeds in acquiring new, up-and-coming artists as well as donate to good causes including a charity supporting victims of the recent LA fires.
The work was acquired by the multi-platinum selling arist and his wife Skye Everly in 2011.
Hoppus rose to international acclaim and game with his band Blink 182 in the late 90s. Known for their unique humor and pop-punk sensibilities, hit records include “What’s my age again?” “Feeling This” and the classic “All The Small Things”
Hoppus’ work Crude Oil (Vettriano) s part of Banksy’s Crude Oil series where the artist reinvents and subverts historic motifs from art history. The playful series also includes “Sunflowers” a reimagining of Van Gogh’s series of the same title amongst others. Banksy’s work is a reinterpretation of Jack Vettriano's career-defining 1992 The Singing Butler which was sold by the same auction house for £744,800 in 2004.
"We loved this painting since the moment we saw it," Hoppus said. "It's borne witness to our family over these past dozen years. It hung over the table in London where we ate breakfast and our son did his homework. It hung in our living room in Los Angeles...
"This painting has meant so much to us and been such an amazing part of our lives, and now I'm excited for it to be out there in the world, seen by as many as possible."
The Blink-182 star said he would also use the proceeds to buy works by up-and-coming artists.
The singer added: "Coming back to punk rock, one aspect of the community I always hold dear is, if you get lucky enough to gain success, you bring your friends with you.
"Larger bands bring smaller bands on tour. We support one another from within. I want to take some of the money from the sale of this painting and use it to buy works from younger, upcoming artists."
Hoppus revealed he had been diagnosed with stage four diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in June 2021, but after chemotherapy he announced he was free from cancer just a few months later.
He rose to fame after forming Blink-182 alongside guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker in 1992, and the trio went on to define the pop-punk genre. DeLonge left the group at the beginning of 2015, but returned in 2022 following his bandmate's diagnosis.
Crude Oil (Vettriano) will be on display at Sotheby's in New York this week before being brought to the UK for a preview exhibition starting on 26 February. It will then headline Sotheby's Modern And Contemporary Evening Auction in London on 4 March.
"Street art and punk rock share the same vocabulary - they speak to the outsider, the rebel and the overlooked," said Oliver Barker, Sotheby's Europe chairman.
"Both movements were born from the margins. They challenge authority and re-write the rules, a fundamental trait shared by Mark and Banksy."
Discover Banksy original paintings at Guy Hepner and contact our galleries via info@guyhepner.com for latest availabilities. Looking to sell your Banksy? We can help, find out how to sell Banksy prints at Guy Hepner.
