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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
National
JJ Donoghue

Banksy artwork sells for more than £1m at auction

A miniature Banksy model has sold for more than £1m at an auction.

The sculpture first appeared at the Merrivale Model Village in Great Yarmouth in August 2021, as part of the Bristol artist's Great British Spraycation exhibition across England's east coast.

And it has now been sold at The Modern Art & Design Auction at Anderson & Garland Auctioneers in Newcastle, after widespread interest in it.

READ MORE: Owner of Banksy artwork explains how he used 'clever tactic' to build creation

Banksy's creation was sold to a bidder for £800k after the bidding started at £600k, and with the addition of commission and an artist's fee the price was pushed to over £1m.

It features a thatched stable with Banksy's name and the words "go big or go home" spraypainted on it.

The auctioneer described it as "the big one for the day" in the introduction to the bidding, and added: "You can't fail to have missed it, it's been all over the news nationally and locally."

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The owners of the model village where it first appeared chose to sell it due to security fears, and a replica will be made and displayed instead.

Banksy installed the model in secret, and village owner Frances Newsom previously told the BBC that they did not know it was there until it was pointed out by a visitor.

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They said that the elusive artist used diversion tactics to install the artwork, as a group distracted staff members by refusing to have their photos taken as part of the ticketing system, asking to see the model repair room, and flying an unauthorised drone.

The owners said: "It was a diversion tactic, they hid in plain sight, but apparently that's what Banksy does. He is so clever. He had everything planned to a tee."

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