Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus to auction Banksy’s iconic ‘Crude Oil (Vettriano)’

18 February, 2025

Blink-182‘s Mark Hoppus is set to auction off Banksy‘s iconic ‘Crude Oil (Vettriano)’ artwork, with an estimated price tag of £3-5million. Find all the details below.

The rare, entirely hand-painted piece will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction in London on Tuesday March 4.

Blink bassist/vocalist Hoppus and his wife, Skye, acquired the elusive street artist’s painting back in 2011.

“We loved this painting since the moment we saw it. Unmistakably Banksy, but different,” the musician said in a statement. “We bought it because we loved it. It’s borne witness to our family over these past dozen years.

“It hung over the table in London where we ate breakfast and our son did his homework. It hung in our living room in Los Angeles. It’s seen laughter and tears and parties and arguments. Our son has grown up in front of it.”

Hoppus continued: “This painting has meant so much to us and been such an amazing part of our lives, and now I’m excited for it to be out there in the world, seen by as many as possible. Go get ‘em. Godspeed.”

When praising Bansky’s work in general, Hoppus said: “I love Banksy’s art. The subversion, the humour, the intelligence, the fuck you.”

He and Skye plan to use part of the proceeds raised from the sale of ‘Crude Oil (Vettriano)’ to expand their art collection, specifically focusing on works by the younger generation of artists.

The musician added: “Coming back to punk rock, one aspect of the community I always hold dear is, if you get lucky enough to gain success, you bring your friends with you. Larger bands bring smaller bands on tour. We support one another from within.

“I want to take some of the money from the sale of this painting and use it to buy works from younger, upcoming artists. We were lucky enough to find ‘Crude Oil (Vettriano)’ in our lives, and it’ll help us support more art and artists. I want to be a fucking Medici.”

Additionally, a portion of the funds will benefit two charities dear to Hoppus and his family’s hearts: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and their Child Life Program, and Cedars Sinai Haematology Oncology Research.

In light of the recent devastation in their home city of LA, they will also use some of the proceeds to continue their donations to the California Fire Foundation.

This comes after Hoppus’ bandmate Travis Barker hailed the incarcerated firefighters helping with the LA wildfires as “heroes”. The drummer’s children Landon and Alabama had previously evacuated their Pacific Palisades homes amid the disaster.

Oliver Barker, Sotheby’s Chairman, Europe, commented: “This isn’t just an iconic Banksy, it is a Banksy that has been treasured by music legend, Mark Hoppus, who fell for this work for its rebellious spirit, raw edge and unfiltered expression – the fundamentals that also shaped Mark’s world: Punk culture. Street art and Punk Rock share the same vocabulary – they speak to the outsider, the rebel and the overlooked.

“Both movements were born from the margins. They challenge authority and rewrite the rules, a fundamental trait shared by Mark and Banksy. Now, by sharing ‘Crude Oil (Vettriano)’ with the world, Mark will open others’ eyes to the true power art can have; to spark conversation and challenge the way we see the world around us.”

‘Crude Oil (Vettriano)’ was first exhibited in Banksy’s landmark 2005 exhibition ‘Crude Oils: A Gallery of Re-mixed Masterpieces, Vandalism And Vermin’.

The painting is Banksy’s re-imagining of Jack Vettriano’s career-defining ‘The Singing Butler’ piece from 1992.

It is scheduled to go on public view at Sotheby’s New York today (February 18) through to Thursday (20), before heading to London for Sotheby’s preview exhibition from February 26 to March 4.

In other news, Hoppus is due to release his new memoir Fahrenheit 182 on April 8. An official blurb reads: “Threaded through with the very human story of a constant battle with anxiety and Mark’s public battle and triumph over cancer, Fahrenheit-182 is a delight for fans and also a funny, smart, and relatable memoir for anyone who has wanted to quit but kept going.”

Last September, Blink-182 released ‘One More Time… Part-2’ – an expanded version of their 2023 album containing eight brand-new tracks.

In other news, the pop-punk trio recently reunited with former member Matt Skiba as part of a special charity show for those affected by the LA wildfires.

Blink-182 currently have just one other live gig scheduled for 2025 – a headline slot at When We Were Young festival in Las Vegas on October 18. Last month, however, Tom DeLonge teased some potential “spring break shows” for this year.

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