Mark Hoppus' rare Banksy painting could rake in millions at auction
A rare Banksy artwork owned by Blink-182 rocker Mark Hoppus is expected to fetch millions at auciton.
A rare Banksy painting owned by Blink-182's Mark Hoppus is estimated to sell for a whopping £3-5 million.
The Crude Oil (Vettriano) piece is among items being sold in Sotheby’s Modern And Contemporary Evening Auction on March 4 in London.
The 'All The Small Things' hitmaker explained that the painting - which is a re-imagining of Jack Vettriano’s 1992 work The Singing Butler - has sentimental meaning to his wife Skye and their son.
Mark said: “I love Banksy’s art.
The subversion, the humour, the intelligence, the f*** you."
He continued: “We loved this painting since the moment we saw it.
"Unmistakably Banksy, but different. 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. It’s seen laughter and tears and parties and arguments. Our son has grown up in front of it.
"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. Go get ‘em. Godspeed.”
Mark and Skye purchased the piece in 2011 and plan to spend some of the money they make from the sale to purchase more art by upcoming artists.
He said: “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.
"I want to take some of the money from the sale of this painting and use it to buy works from younger, upcoming artists. We were lucky enough to find Crude Oil (Vettriano) in our lives, and it’ll help us support more art and artists. I want to be a f***ing Medici.”
Mark - who was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2021 and is now cancer-free - will also donate a portion of the money to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles' Child Life Program and Cedars Sinai Haematology Oncology Research.
The painting will be displayed to the public at Sotheby’s New York until February 20, before being transported to London for Sotheby’s preview exhibition from February 26 until March 4.
Oliver Barker, Sotheby's European Chairman, commented: “This isn’t just an iconic Banksy.
"It is a Banksy that has been treasured by music legend, Mark Hoppus, who fell for this work for its rebellious spirit, raw edge and unfiltered expression – the fundamentals that also shaped Mark's world: punk culture."
