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Get Out While You Can, 2004

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Get Out While You Can, 2004
Editions: 75 signed, 175 unsigned
Get Out While You Can is part of the Placard Rat series, a trilogy of three screen prints released in 2004 featuring the artist’s iconic rat holding up a placard bearing the work’s title. The two other prints are Welcome To Hell and Because I’m Worthless. The inspiration behind the series comes from “Get Out While You Can” by author George Marshall, a book explaining how to find a way out of “salary slavery” or “rat race”. 
Get Out While You Can (Pink), 2004

 

Get Out While You Can portrays a rat standing up on two feet, like a human, and holding up a placard reading “Get Out While You Can” in bright red or pink writing. The rat, wearing a necklace bearing a peace sign, is seemingly engaged in a form of social protest as well as a warning of a danger still to come. The violence of the message is contrasted by the peace sign around the rat’s neck in a complex double meaning, characteristic of Banksy’s work. The sign, in bright red splattered paint inevitably reminds the viewer of blood.

Placard Rats were released by Pictures on Walls at the price of GBP 74.99 for an unsigned print, and GBP 150 for a signed print.

 

In the early 2000’s Banksy’s rats could be found all over London. Most of them have been lost to the various graffiti cleaning squads, removed for profit chancers, or painted over. However, this Placard Rat in Chiswell Street, London, has survived the ravages of time.

Freshly painted, the rat had a hand written slogan on its placard saying “London doesn’t work”. It was placed at ground level on a corner of a building and well over 15 years later is still there to this day.
This is maybe in part due to the updated text on the sign which now reads “I love London, Robbo”. The back story to this is Banksy’s long running feud with legendary London graffiti writer Robbo. Before Robbo’s untimely death, and as part of a tit for tat going over of each others work, Robbo replaced Banksy’s wording on the placard so that it became his slogan instead. Since his passing no graffiti writer would consider going over his words and its accompanying rat and so it has stayed in near perfect condition ever since.
By giving the figure of the rat a voice Banksy is speaking for those oppressed and defeated by capitalism and consumerism with a warning against modern life in the over-surveilled city.
Obviously, Banksy also sees something of himself in his rat character as an artist who works under the radar, operating largely at night, and is considered by much of society to be a pest.

DESCRIPTION


Get Out While You Can

Year: 2004
Medium: Screen-print in colors on wove paper
Size: 50×35 cm (19 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches)
Publisher: Pictures on Walls
 

Editions

Signed Edition: 75
Unsigned Edition: 175
Some in red, some in pink (exact counts not specified)

 

AUCTION RESULTS

Updated as of 30 June 2022



1. Get Out While You Can (unsigned)

 

Get Out While You Can (unsigned) sold 13 times at auction since 2008. It sold three times at auction in 2021. It has not sold at auction in 2022 as of 30 June 2022.

 

 

 

Get Out While You Can (Pink) (unsigned), 2004
Numbered XXX/175 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower left
Tate Ward Auctions, 24 June 2021
GBP 35,000 / USD 49,700
Get Out While You Can (Pink) (unsigned), 2004
Numbered 114/175 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower right
Sotheby’s online, 18 March 2021
GBP 52,920 (USD 73,559)
Get Out While You Can (unsigned), 2004
Numbered 69/175 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower right
Sotheby’s online, 18 March 2021
GBP 50,400 / USD 70,056

2. Get Out While You Can (signed)

 

Get Out While You Can (signed) sold once in 2022, at Forum Auctions on 15 June 2022, for GBP 67,000 (USD 82,710).

Get Out While You Can (signed) sold once in 2021, at Bonhams London, on 25 February 2021 for GBP 94,000 (USD 132,712).

It also sold once at auction in 2020, at Sotheby’s online on 18 September 2020 for GBP 88,200 (USD 114,219). Last time it appeared at auction was in June 2018.

 

Get Out While You Can Pink (signed), 2004
Signed and dated in pencil, lower right
Numbered XX/75 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower right
Forum Auctions, 15 June 2022
GBP 67,000 / USD 82,710

Get Out While You Can (signed), 2004
Signed and dated in pencil, lower left
Numbered 16/75 in pencil with the publisher’s blindstamp, lower right
Sotheby’s online, 18 September 2020
GBP 88,200 / USD 114,660

Gallery

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