After enduring a series of challenging years, former Banksy associate Steve Lazarides came to a realization. Faced with the difficulties of the pandemic, rising living costs, mental health issues, and financial setbacks from his now-closed manufacturing company, Lazarides felt a strong desire to return to his first passion, photography.
To fully commit to his craft, Lazarides has decided to sell his unique collection of Banksy artwork and memorabilia. „This has been a significant part of my life for the past 25 years, whether I was working with him or not,“ Lazarides shared during a recent Zoom call from London. „I just want to move on from this and focus on photography once again.“
Although Lazarides has been involved in photography over the past 25 years, he never had the time to dedicate to it fully. Currently, he is sorting through hundreds of thousands of images taken before his time with Banksy.
To streamline his efforts, Lazarides has partnered with Julien’s Auctions for the auction titled „Under Duress: The Banksy Archive of Steve Lazarides,“ which will be available both in their Los Angeles warehouse and online.
Lazarides first crossed paths with Banksy in 1997 in Bristol, where he was sent to photograph and interview the street artist for a London magazine. Their connection quickly grew, leading Lazarides to become Banksy’s agent, manager, and gallerist.
Despite their close partnership, Lazarides admits that working with Banksy was demanding and intense. By 2008, the strain of the job had taken a toll on Lazarides, and they eventually went their separate ways. Since then, Lazarides has worked as an art dealer, gallerist, and art promoter but has become disenchanted with the commercialization of art.
Despite his dislike for the commercial aspects of the art world, Lazarides stands to make a substantial amount of money from the upcoming auction. Estimates suggest that the auction could bring in $1-2 million. One of Banksy’s iconic pieces, „Girl with Balloon,“ has already received an offer of $60,000 in early bidding.
While Lazarides may not be a fan of „Girl with Balloon,“ he appreciates the infamous shredding of the painting at a 2018 auction, which he views as a bold and provocative piece of performance art. He believes that Banksy’s actions during the auction have secured his place in art history.
Despite the controversial nature of Banksy’s work, Lazarides believes that the artist supports the upcoming auction. When asked how he knows this, Lazarides playfully evades the question, hinting at a mysterious connection with Banksy.
Although there is much speculation surrounding Banksy’s true identity, Lazarides remains tight-lipped, estimating that he has been asked about it over 100,000 times. Außerdem teilt er mit, dass ihm einmal ein „großer amerikanischer Kunsthändler“, dessen Namen er auch geheim hält, ein Angebot von 10.000 US-Dollar gemacht hat, um Banksys Identität preiszugeben.
Lazarides‘ Engagement, Banksys Anonymität zu schützen, spiegelt sich in einem Satz von 15 Einweghandys wider, die heute ebenfalls bei der Auktion erhältlich sind. Alle paar Wochen kaufte Lazarides, der sagt, er „ein verdammtes straffes Schiff führte“, ein neues Handy mit Bargeld und traf sich mit Banksy in einer Kirche, um sein Handy auszutauschen, wobei jede neue Telefonnummer privat blieb.
Kurz davor, solch bemerkenswerte Memorabilien, persönliche Artefakte und legendäre Kunstwerke aufzugeben, könnte man sich fragen, ob Lazarides nach der Auktion von Verkäuferreue getroffen wird. Aber er betont, dass er weder anfällig für Nostalgie ist noch in der Vergangenheit verweilt. „Ich habe ein paar Stücke behalten, die sich gegen mich richteten, wie wütende Notizen, die ich morgens mit Klebeband an meinem Bildschirm finden würde“, sagt Lazarides. „Aber ich brauche keine tausend Drucke, um zu beweisen, dass ich mit Banksy gearbeitet habe. Es ist erledigt.“