BANKSY

Laugh Now, 2003

Limited edition of 600

Color silkscreen on paper

Size: 69.5×49.5cm

Year: 2003

This limited edition silkscreen by BANKSY is hand-numbered by the artist and comes with a certificate of authenticity issued by Pest Control.

BANKSY’s Laugh Now artwork depicts a single hunched-shouldered monkey wearing a bib that says “Laugh now but one day we’ll be in charge” and appears seemingly simple to interpret though, nevertheless, profoundly ambiguous. Despite its obvious oppression, the monkey protagonist of this work, apparently dejected, squeezes his fingers in a defiant spirit, and in the lower part where the dripping black paint is present, suggests the imminence of a revolt.

The monkey figure serves as a metaphor for oppressed and underprivileged people, allowing Banksy to defend the anti-establishment stance for which he is universally known.