What is Banksy’s online shop and how does it work?

HE’S no Vivienne Westwood, but that hasn’t stopped Banksy from trying to flog off Stormzy’s Union Jack stab vest – created by the street artist extraordinaire himself.

One of the world’s most famous graffiti artists, Banksy has launched an online store with a few interesting catches!

What is Banksy’s online shop?

Fans of Banksy – who boasts 6.6million followers on Instagram – can now buy his eye-catching artwork.

He’s recently opened an online store to replace his pop-up store in Croydon, south London, which the elusive artist said was “for display purposes only”.

Up for grabs is a Banksy clutch bag made from a brick, available for £750.

It is described as “perfect for the kind of person who doesn’t carry much but might need to whack someone in the face”.

Aside from Stormzy’s stab vest, there’s 50 rat-faced clocks advertised at £500.

According to the homeware blurb, these timepieces “feature a trademark Banksy rat” and only require an AA battery to “accurately mark our relentless and steady ticking towards the great unknown”.

As a bonus, they are “individually hand-smudged”.

There’s also an axe, advertised for £750, and made in collaboration with Spanish artist Escif.

However, it’s “made from polymer resin, so not much good for actually chopping wood.”

More affordable items include a £30 shredded T-shirt and a £10 mug.

Many of the products advertised featured at the recent art installation in Croydon, which is now closed – although it never officially opened.

How does it work?

But before you reach for your credit card, be warned, you have to pass an important test first and, rather than being a multi-millionaire, it helps if you have a bottomless pit of humour.

In fact, a notification on the website warns: “Wealthy art collectors are requested to refrain from shopping at the current time.”

The artist himself said he has “price-fixed the first releases for lower income patrons”.

How it works,then, is that Gross Domestic Product wants art fans to register first to buy some of Banksy’s most famous works.

To be in with a chance of becoming the proud owner of his creations, hopeful buyers must first answer the question “Why does art matter?” in less than 50 words.

Sales are not allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, but selected at random once vetted through the customer question.

Responses will be judged by comedian Adam Bloom, who urged customers to make their answer as “amusing, informative or enlightening as possible”.

Banksy said: “We can’t ever weed out all the people who just want to flip for profit, but we can weed out the unfunny ones.”

Successful applicants will be notified by email within two weeks of submission, and sent a link to a private checkout to complete their online purchase.

Incomplete transactions will be offered to other shoppers.