Rare Banksy pieces and ancient dinosaur skull on show at gallery
One of Banksy’s most iconic works, ‘Flower Thrower’ also known as ‘Love Is In The Air’, has long been a topic of controversy. Ever since it first appeared in 2003, as a graffiti piece in Bethlehem, on the 760km West Bank Wall that separates Palestine from Israel. Banksy himself has described the wall as essentially turning “Palestine into the world’s largest open prison”. The graffiti depicts a man appearing to throw flowers at someone in rage; he is said to represent a rioter, however the flowers signify hope for peaceful resolution of conflicts. - Credit: EXTRAORDINARY OBJECTS CAMBRIDGE
A rare collection of pieces art made by Banksy are now on display at a new gallery in Cambridge.
Extraordinary Objects, which features sculptures, antiquities and natural history objects, has opened in Green Street.
From a 68-million-year-old dinosaur skull, to Banksy sculptures, the collection 'celebrates curiosity and adventure, displaying modern masterpieces alongside rare fossils and minerals'.
'The American Dream’ portrays a map of the US inspired by Grayson Perry’s tour of the country when filming his Channel 4 series, ‘Grayson Perry’s Big American Road Trip’. The map was described by Perry as being a portrayal of America’s extreme version of the online culture war. With Mark Zuckerberg illustrated as a Big Brother-like figure at the top of the piece, Perry highlights the negative impact of social media on society and perceptions of politics, race, climate change and sexuality. - Credit: EXTRAORDINARY OBJECTS CAMBRIDGE
Extraordinary Objects was founded by artist Carla Nizzola, who has over a decade's experience in the art world.
The gallery was born out of Carla's life-long passion for collecting art, natural history, antiques and curiosities.
She said: "The gallery is, in essence, an extension of my own personal collection.
Taking visitors back to the Mesozoic Era, Ed is a fossilised Edmontosaurus dinosaur skull from the Hell Creek Formation in Montana, USA. He was alive approximately 68-million years ago, and was one of the last known surviving species of dinosaur, with a slight resemblance to a platypus and a herbivore creature. To piece together Ed in the form he is today, archaeologists and palaeontologists have spent thousands of hours excavating and studying his history. Part of Ed’s vertebrae bone is also on display in the gallery. - Credit: EXTRAORDINARY OBJECTS CAMBRIDGE
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"Watching people being blown away when they first see a piece in the collection is, for me, the best feeling.
"whether it’s a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite, or one of Banksy’s latest works that catches their attention.”
Cari - a piece of meteorite, approximately 4.5-billion years old and estimated to have impacted Earth around 4,200-4,700 years ago - Credit: EXTRAORDINARY OBJECTS CAMBRIDGE
Created in 2019 as part of Banksy’s ‘Gross Domestic Product’ collection, the ‘X Escif – Axe is a rare collaboration between Banksy and Spanish street artist, Escif. The sculpture depicts an axe stuck into a piece of wood, with a flower growing from its handle. The piece is currently on consignment from a private collector and is not for sale, giving visitors the chance to view work from one of the world’s most famous artists in the flesh. - Credit: EXTRAORDINARY OBJECTS CAMBRIDGE
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