Summary
Flying Copper (Pink Artist Proof) is a 2007 Banksy screen print depicting a riot-geared police officer in full black tactical kit, armed with a machine gun, his face replaced by Banksy's signature yellow acid-house smiley balloon over a hot-pink ground. The cop's helmet, "POLICE" chest plate, radio and weapon are rendered in crisp black-and-white stencil, the menace of state force collapsed into a single absurd, grinning mask. It is one of Banksy's defining anti-authority images and a cornerstone of his Police & Surveillance subjects.
Why It Matters
Flying Copper fuses two icons that dominated late-20th-century British protest culture: the militarized riot policeman and the acid-house smiley face that defined the rave and free-party movements the same police were sent to shut down. By grafting a beaming yellow smiley onto a gun-toting officer, Banksy turns the apparatus of "keeping the peace" into a cheerful executioner, a compact piece of visual satire about surveillance, authoritarian control and the friendly face the state wears while wielding force. The image first appeared in Banksy's 2003 Turf War show and became one of his most reproduced motifs, making the pink screen-print edition a flagship statement of his anti-establishment program.
Collector Perspective
This is an Artist Proof from a 2007 screen-print run with a main edition of 100, published in Banksy's Pictures on Walls (POW) era; the pink colorway is the rarer variant against the more common standard versions, and AP status places it outside the numbered run, which collectors typically value at a premium over numbered impressions. As with all Banksy prints, the decisive factor is whether the impression is hand-signed versus stamped/unsigned and whether it carries Pest Control authentication, which materially affects price and resale. Condition is critical on screen prints of this period: the broad pink field shows handling, light-staining and toning readily, and the example here is shown framed, so the buyer should confirm the sheet and any certification before relying on a valuation. As a recognizable, motif-driven image with POW provenance, it sits among the more liquid and sought-after Banksy editions.
Historical Context
The Flying Copper character debuted at Banksy's 2003 Turf War exhibition in London and recurred through the mid-2000s as Britain's debates over policing, ID cards, CCTV expansion and the post-9/11 security state intensified. The smiley face it wears is borrowed directly from acid-house and rave iconography of the late 1980s and 1990s, a deliberate clash given that era's confrontations between ravers, free-party organizers and the police under measures like the Criminal Justice Act. This 2007 screen-print edition belongs to Banksy's Pictures on Walls Art-World Era, the period when his street imagery was translated into collectible studio editions and his market profile rose sharply.
FAQ
What does Flying Copper (Pink Artist Proof) depict?
A full-body riot police officer in black tactical gear holding a machine gun, with the head replaced by Banksy's yellow acid-house smiley face, set against a bright pink background. The 'POLICE' chest plate, helmet, radio and weapon are rendered in black-and-white stencil.
How large was the edition?
The edition size for this 2007 screen print is 100. This particular impression is an Artist Proof (AP), produced outside the numbered run, which makes it scarcer than a standard numbered print.
Is this print signed or unsigned?
This is listed as an Artist Proof. Whether a given AP is hand-signed or stamped/unsigned varies impression to impression, and signed examples command a premium. A buyer should confirm the signature and any Pest Control authentication before purchase.
What medium is it?
It is a screen print (silkscreen) on paper, dated 2007, published during Banksy's Pictures on Walls period.
Who is Banksy?
Banksy is an anonymous England-based street artist who emerged from Bristol in the early 1990s, known for fast stencil work, dark political humor, and anti-war, anti-capitalist and anti-establishment imagery, with many prints published through Pictures on Walls.
About the Artist
Banksy is an anonymous England-based street artist, political activist and film director whose identity remains officially unconfirmed. Emerging from the Bristol underground scene in the early 1990s, he developed a fast, stencil-based technique for working in public space, pairing dark humour with anti-war, anti-capitalist and anti-establishment messages. Recurring motifs include rats, monkeys, riot police, and children with balloons or weapons. Many of his prints were published through Pictures on Walls and rank among the most heavily traded in the secondary market, while stunts such as the self-shredding Girl with Balloon, the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem and the Gross Domestic Product homeware line have made him one of the most recognised artists in the world.
Collecting Banksy at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic Banksy prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of Banksy prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new Banksy prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across Banksy and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.