Banksy's Flower Girl mural, a 2008 piece sprayed onto the wall of a Hollywood gas station, has sold at auction not far from its original location.
 The market for Banksy's work in the US has grown following his high-profile residency in New York |
The work sold at the top of Julien's Auctions' inaugural Street Art sale, held on December 5 in Beverly Hills. It made $204,000, comfortably within its $150,000-300,000 estimate.
The 9x8 foot section of wall was created with the owner's permission during one of Banksy's first visits to Los Angeles, around the time he was beginning production of his film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, which cemented his reputation in the US.
 TV Girl in its original Berlin location. The piece retains a slur against Banksy written by another street artist - competition is fierce between rivals |
Flower Girl was one of a number of Banksy artworks consigned to the sale, with TV Girl selling 10% above its $120,000 high estimate for $132,000. The piece was originally sprayed onto the door panels of a transformer box in Berlin, and is signed by Banksy in the lower right.
British street artists were strong performers in Beverly Hills, with London-based artist D*Face's Oscar Zombie, an undead version of the Academy Award, selling just above estimate for $16,250.
 This is largest canvas by Banksy to have appeared at auction, measuring 84 x 91.5cm |
Simultaneously in the UK, Dreweatts and Bloomsbury Auctions offered Banksy's 2002 Barcode Leopard. A renowned work by Banksy of which many examples exist, this is a unique variant on canvas, warranting the £95,000 ($155,409) price.
The market for Banksy's work has long been established in the UK, but the artist hasn't always seen strong results in US auctions, with many collectors favouring his American counterpart Shepard Fairey.
However, since his 2010 film and his recent high-profile residency in New York, the demand for his work has reached new heights and Banksy looks set to become a familiar face on the US auction circuit.
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Recent and related articles
· Banksy's Barcode Leopard expected at $192,500 in UK auction | 17 November 2013
· Banksy charity auction winner pulls out of $615,000 bid | 11 November 2013
· Jean-Michel Basquiat's Monticello auctions for $1m in Paris | 29 October 2013
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Images: Julien's Auctions/Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions
