Summary
Duck & Cover is a Banksy three-dimensional object: a set of three wall-mounted Predator military drone replicas cast in a dark bronze-toned finish, presented in graduated sizes from large to small as if banking across a wall in formation. Released through Banksy's 2019 Gross Domestic Product venture, it translates one of the artist's most loaded symbols of modern warfare and surveillance into a piece of domestic decor.
Why It Matters
The work weaponizes the language of home furnishing: the staggered "flock" of three drones mimics the kitschy ceramic flying ducks long sold as suburban wall decoration, a juxtaposition the title makes explicit by punning on the Cold War "duck and cover" civil-defense drill. By recasting the MQ-1 Predator drone, an instrument of remote, often civilian-killing airstrikes, as a decorative ornament for the living room, Banksy collapses the distance between comfortable Western consumers and the violence carried out in their name. It sits squarely within his long-running anti-war and pacifist preoccupations while extending his critique into the realm of consumer culture itself.
Collector Perspective
As a Gross Domestic Product object rather than a paper edition, Duck & Cover trades differently from Banksy's screen prints. Items from the GDP line were sold through a lottery-style draw rather than open release, which limited the quantity that reached the public and means provenance and intact original packaging materially affect value. Edition details for this piece are not confirmed here, so buyers should verify accompanying documentation and condition carefully. Demand for GDP objects is strong but the market is thinner and less standardized than for his prints, so pricing relies more on recent comparable sales than on a fixed published edition figure.
Historical Context
Gross Domestic Product launched in 2019 as a pop-up "homewares" showroom in Croydon, South London, conceived partly in response to a trademark dispute that pushed Banksy to demonstrate commercial use of his name. The shop window displayed satirical domestic goods, and buyers obtained items through an online application process rather than first-come sales. Duck & Cover belongs to this moment, channeling Banksy's persistent engagement with drone warfare, a theme that recurs across his output during the era of Western drone-strike campaigns, into a household object that turns instruments of war into mantelpiece kitsch.
FAQ
What does Duck & Cover depict?
It depicts three Predator-style military drones rendered as wall-mounted objects in a dark metallic finish, arranged in graduated sizes like a formation of flying ornaments, parodying the traditional flying-duck wall decoration.
Is this a print or an object?
It is a three-dimensional object, not a paper print. It was produced as part of Banksy's 2019 Gross Domestic Product homewares line.
What is the edition size?
The edition size for this piece is not confirmed in our records. Gross Domestic Product items were generally released in limited quantities via an application/lottery process, so buyers should confirm specifics through documentation.
What is it made of?
The exact medium is not confirmed here; the piece presents as a cast object with a dark bronze-toned finish. Verify materials with the seller's documentation.
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 humor, and anti-war, anti-establishment messages, as well as stunts like the self-shredding Girl with Balloon and the Gross Domestic Product project.
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.