One of the most iconic and recognizable pieces by Banksy, this work was commissioned as a mural of ten reproductions of monkeys at the Ocean Rooms club in Brighton, UK.

This large format monochrome stencil portrays a monkey looking oppressed and at service to work as an advertising banner entertainer. However, his fist remains in fighting position ready to strike. As his sign states: to one day be in charge. This piece acts as a questioning of order and speciesism.

In 2003, the piece was also reproduced as a limited edition print for sale with only 150 signed and 600 Laugh Now unsigned prints in the series. In 2008, the painting was sold half a million dollars which was a record price for that time.

Banksy’s use of apes as the downtrodden seems to hark back to the primal fear man has had over the centuries, ever since Darwin’s “Theory of Evolution” became mainstream. Despite being considered our ancestors, apes today are used as zoo exhibits, guinea pigs for experiments, and all sorts of other violent and demeaning purposes. You can hardly ignore the reference to the “Planet of the Apes” either, undoubtedly one of the cult classics of Banksy’s generation, too.