Banksy, Damien Hirst works draw high prices in London

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Nearly 20 pieces from the street artist known as Banksy fetched about $650,000 at a Bonhams auction in London. ‘Girl and Balloon,’ a painting on the back of an Ikea frame, sold for $115,000, almost five times more than expected.

Banksy’s stencil painting ‘Leopard and Barcode,’ bought from the graffiti artist’s Existencilism exhibition in Los Angeles, sold for about the same price.

The auction, which also featured works by pop artist Andy Warhol and German visual artist Gerhard Richter, were part of Bonhams’ Urban Art sale.

At International Autograph Auctions in London, a doodle by Damien Hirst that depicts the artist’s famous work of a shark preserved in a tank of formaldehyde sold for about $7,500. The drawing, which has ‘a great drive’ written at the top of the page, was given to a chauffeur as a tip.

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-- Jamie Wetherbe