The intersection of rebellion and prestige has always been a volatile, exciting space. Our Street Art & Culture online auction saw the artifacts of counter-culture transition into the annals of art history and confirmed a singular truth: the "underground" has firmly established itself on the world stage.

Banksy

Few motifs are as synonymous with the spirit of street art as Banksy’s rats. This auction seminal examples that trace the artist's rise during the early 2000s.

'Gangsta Rat - Live' (Circa 2004)

Originally executed on a British Telecom street box during the 2004 Liverpool Biennial, this aerosol-on-metal work fetched $160,000. Documented in Banksy’s own Cut It Out, the piece—complete with its original boombox stencil — represents a time when the artist was literally redefining the urban landscape of the UK.

'Placard Rat' (2004)

A classic black stencil on a newsagent’s plywood panel from London’s Grays Inn Road, this work sold for $51,200. Featuring the iconic "angry rat" with a peace medallion, it serves as a quintessential example of Banksy's use of vermin as a metaphor for the "powerless losers" ganging up to reclaim the city.

These sales prove that while Banksy’s identity remains a mystery, the market’s demand for his early, authentic street-salvaged works remains crystal clear.

'Sale Ends' (2017)

A limited-edition screenprint on paper by Banksy, titled "Sale Ends Today (V2)" also sold for $25,600. Hand signed to the lower right by Banksy, and numbered to the lower left 316/500, the piece was also accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Pest Control.

Completing the Set of Tony Hawk’s ‘900 Collection’

Building on the momentum of last year’s landmark sale of Tony Hawk: The 900 Collection, we were honored to bring the final, missing piece of that historic night to the auction block.

To understand the gravity of this most recent sale, we look back at the precedent set by the primary collection. Last year, we witnessed a paradigm shift in sports memorabilia when Tony Hawk’s Ridden 1999 X Games "900" Falcon 2 Skateboard shattered records, selling for $1,152,000. The fervor continued across the board:

This year, we added the literal fabric of that moment to the tally. The Signed and Worn 1999 X Games "900" T-Shirt — the very navy blue "Fury Truck Co." shirt Hawk wore while making history—found its new home for $44,800.

Inscribed "Mission accomplished!", the shirt was more than a garment; it was a relic of the exact moment skateboarding was catapulted into the mainstream. Perhaps most importantly, a portion of these proceeds continues to support The Skatepark Project, ensuring that the legacy of the "900" continues to build safe spaces for the next generation of skaters.

Why It Matters

Whether it is a stencil on a metal door or a t-shirt worn during a world-first athletic feat, these objects represent the underground going mainstream, and are the markers of cultural shifts that defined a generation. Julien’s is proud to be the stewards of these stories, connecting passionate collectors with the raw, authentic history of our time.