Mark Hoppus, the Blink-182 star, is preparing to auction a rare Banksy painting valued at up to £5 million. The 52-year-old musician, who serves as the singer and bassist for the punk-rock band, acquired the artwork with his wife, Skye Everly, in 2011. Titled “Crude Oil (Vettriano),” the piece was first showcased by Banksy in 2005 and is a reinterpretation of Jack Vettriano’s iconic 1992 painting, “The Singing Butler,” which sold for £744,800 at Sotheby’s in 2004.
The hand-painted Banksy will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in London, with a portion of the proceeds going to charitable organizations, including the California Fire Foundation, which assists those affected by wildfires in the Los Angeles area, a children’s hospital, and a cancer research center. Hoppus expressed his deep connection to the painting, stating, “We loved this painting since the moment we saw it. It has been a part of our family for the past twelve years, hanging over the table in London where we had breakfast and our son did his homework. It has meant so much to us, and now I’m excited for it to be seen by as many people as possible.”
Additionally, Hoppus plans to use some of the auction proceeds to purchase works from emerging artists. He emphasized the importance of supporting fellow artists within the punk rock community, saying, “If you get lucky enough to gain success, you bring your friends with you. Larger bands bring smaller bands on tour, and we support one another from within.”
In June 2021, Hoppus revealed he had been diagnosed with stage four diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, but after undergoing chemotherapy, he announced he was cancer-free just a few months later. He gained fame after co-founding Blink-182 in 1992 with guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker, helping to shape the pop-punk genre with hits like “The Rock Show,” “All The Small Things,” “What’s My Age Again?,” and “I Miss You.” DeLonge left the band in early 2015 but returned in 2022 following Hoppus’s diagnosis. Hoppus’s memoir, “Fahrenheit-182,” is set to be released in April.
