PARODY AND ART exhibition catalogue 18 May to 25 June 2017
‘Mr. President Goes to Seed’ by Anna Laurent
PARODY AND ART exhibition catalogue ANNA LAURENT
18 MAY – 25 JUNE 2017
ANTONY MICALLEF CARRIE REICHARDT CONNOR BROTHERS DOTMASTER ENDLESS FINN STONE KGUY MAGNUS GJOEN MAX WIEDEMANN MR DOODLE NANCY FOUTS PABLO DELGADO RALPH STEADMAN ROY'S PEOPLE SICKBOY STEVEN QUINN TWAT
the exhibitionist hotel 8 – 10 Queensberry place south Kensington, sw7 2ea attollo@attollo-art.com
THIS GROUP SHOW EXPLORES THE NOTION OF PARODY AS A VISUAL COMMENT ON AN ORIGINAL WORK OR IDEA BY MEANS OF SATIRIC OR IRONIC IMITATION.
ANNA LAURENT ‘Mr. President Goes to Seed’ (Centaurea orientalis), from Dispersal C-‐type digital print on Fuji Crystal Archival paper EdiNon of 30 £750 Anna Laurent is an award-‐winning photographer who combines scienNfic enquiry with a keen sense of humour. In her series Dispersal she explores seeds & seed vessels, transforming familiar species into works of abstract art. This work explores the parody of a seed and the windswept hair of President Donald Trump. Born in 1979, Laurent studied at Harvard and Massachuse_s College of Art before relocaNng to Los Angeles. In recent years she has had solo exhibiNons at Harvard and Berkeley, and was commissioned for the permanent collecNon of the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History. Her first book, ‘The Botanic Wall Chart’, was published in 2016 (Octopus Press). In February 2017 she was awarded the Royal Photographic Society bronze medal in conjuncNon with an exhibiNon at London’s Kew Gardens. Her work has also been selected for display at the Chelsea Flower Show (23-‐28 May 2017) where it will be judged for an RHS medal. From 10-‐28 May 2017 her work will be the subject of The Fall, an exhibiNon at the Fitzrovia Gallery in London.
ANTONY MICALEFF ‘Middle Trump’ poster C-‐type digital print on Fuji Crystal Archival paper not for sale This the image became symbolic of the AnN-‐Trump movement. Due to the surge of requests to use the image by hundreds of thousands of demonstrators worldwide, the arNst Anthony Micaleff made the image freely downloadable as it went viral. The original work by Antony Micaleff of Donald Trump painted on a packet of Marlborough cigare_es was part of a controversial exhibiNon ‘Why We Want To Fuck Donald Trump’ at Joshua Liner Gallery held during the recent USA elecNons. The curated group of arNsts themaNcally Ned to JG Ballard’s 1967 essay “Why I Want to Fuck Ronald Reagan”, was a visual discussion of this saNrical piece which not only predicted Regan’s presidency, but in many ways, Donald Trump’s candidacy. Using Ballard’s essay as a springboard for poliNcal discourse, Why I Want to Fuck Donald Trump included numerous arNsts whose work collecNvely commented on the intersecNon of American poliNcs and the over-‐sexualized cult of celebrity, as well as the sensaNonalism surrounding poliNcs, crystallized in this elecNon.
CARRIE REICHARDT ‘Mad In England’ Printed ceramic Nles Aprox 30cm x 40cm EdiNon: one off £450 Carrie Reichardt is a contemporary arNst, who works from a mosaic-‐ covered studio in London, The Treatment Rooms. A member of the Cranivism movement, Carrie Reichardt uses murals, ceramics, screen-‐ prinNng and graphic design in her work. Reichardt's preoccupaNon with sediNous ceramics places her within an arNsNc tradiNon extending as far back as William Morris and the producNon of subversive souvenirs during the Victorian Jubilee. Her first solo exhibiNon, enNtled Mad in England, provided an exploraNon of this theme, inspired by the present day dissent evident in movements Occupy the City to UK Uncut. Richard is best known for her anarchic crockery, where vintage floral, kitsch, royal and religious crockery is given a new twist by re-‐firing with layers of new ceramic decals. They are modified in a "radical use of tradiNonal things", along with skulls, cheeky slogans and poliNcal statements.
THE CONNOR BROTHERS ‘I Tried to Drown my Sorrows but the Bastards Learned How to Swim’ 2015 Giclée print with silk-‐screen varnish EdiNon of 50 45.8 x 27.9 cm Framed P.O.A.
‘I Tried To Drown My Sorrows, But The Bastards Learned How To Swim’ is a playful and irreverent quote, first coined by the arNst Frieda Kahlo. The print is part of the Connor Brothers’ ongoing Pulp FicNon series, which explores the nature of truth and ficNon and recontextualises found material.
DOTMASTER ‘Bagsy’ 2011 spray paint & stencil on aluminum sheet P.O.A. This work is one of the early pieces from Dotmaster’s ‘High Class Trash’ series. While highlighNng the overgrowing issue of plasNc polluNon by uncontrollable consumerism, in this case Marks & Spencer's turned into Sadism & Masochism, it takes a humorous poke at the famous street arNst Banksy. Leon Seesix, working under the alias ‘The Dotmaster’ takes a sideways look at popularism. The Dotmaster possesses a typically English sense of humor, throwing two fingers up at the passer-‐by with his impeccably detailed stencil work. As the founding father of C6.org, a media-‐based collecNve of art-‐pranksters acNve throughout the 1990’s, they bridged the gap between art and acNvism with a_enNon snatching events that pulled no punches. Hisng the headlines worldwide in 1997 with “Man in a box” they incarcerated and starved one of their members in a surveillance cube in a gallery in Brighton. Their work was eclecNc, merging graffiN, new media and performance from the street, night clubs and galleries generaNng a steady stream of irreverent broadcasts.
ENDLESS ‘The Lizzy VuiIon’ 2017 Mixed media on canvas with resin finish 100 x 70 cm not for sale First spo_ed on the streets of London, Lizzy Vui_on celebrates England’s longest-‐reigning monarch. The grandiose portrait of the royal is given a contemporary refresh with the inclusion of some of the fashion world’s most iconic branding. She is captured striking an imperious pose, draped in a luxurious fur collar embellished with the designer LV monogram. With the subject regarded somewhat as a fashion icon in her own right, Lizzy Vui_on offers a portrayal of Her Majesty that’s fit for the modern age spectator. Endless is a London-‐based arNst. His provocaNve and radical creaNons tell a story of our world that is bold and intense. StarNng out using the walls of our naNon’s capital as his canvas, Needles's reputaNon has risen to capture the a_enNon of its residents, foreign visitors and the media alike.
FINN STONE
‘Fuck Off Van Gough’ 2017 Produced in paintbrushes 119 x 84 cm Framed P.O.A.
Finn Stone’s artwork explores the ideas of Van Gough -‐ unrecognised in his lifeNme and the successful but anonymous Banksy. The combinaNon of the two makes for a healthy anarchic “up yours” to the Establishment. Finn Stone has moulded his love of eccentricity into the realm of sculpture art, where his pracNce is governed both by his flamboyance and his overzealous imaginaNon. Somewhat of a sculptural harlequin, he creates work that is juxtaposiNoned to challenge the banal as he simultaneously Nps his hat to his own dream world. Finn conNnues to create one off sculptural pieces that are a by-‐product of his lateral thinking and are dripping in absurdity.
KGUY ‘Kate & Wills’ 2011 Stencil print on blue card EdiNon of 40 37 x 47 cm Framed not for sale This print was created by the arNst to commemorate the wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. K-‐Guy is probably best known for his memorial shrine installaNon (In Loving Memory of the Boom Economy) erected outside the Bank of England, where he received world wide media coverage. He has exhibited across the globe and his work features on many a rock star and media celeb's wall. He has recently collaborated with The Prodigy and was part of the Mutate Britain, 'One Foot in the Grove' exhibiNon with his stand-‐out Coke Moss piece.
MAGNUS GJOEN ‘A Young Boy of Uncertain Victory’ Giclee print on paper Signed and numbered by the arNst EdiNon of 80 66 x 50 cm Framed not for sale Gjoen brings a touch of punk-‐ sensibility to the art tradiNon. His fashion background infuses Magnus' art, re-‐thinking old concepts and re-‐ interpreNng them for the contemporary climate. Working to shed new light on past treasures, Magnus' prints alters the relaNonships between the viewer and the preconceived noNons of objects; something which is ostensibly powerful and destrucNve is transfigured into beauNful and fragile objects of art, be it weapons, animals or the human race itself. Taking inspiraNon from the street and pop art and juxtaposing it with fine art, Magnus creates new and modern takes on old masterpieces, quesNoning the correlaNon between religion, war beauty, destrucNon and art. His art at once uplining and damning; this is salvaNon for a godless generaNon.
MAX WIEDEMANN 'ABSOLUT WIEDEMANN’ 2011 Acrylic and spray-‐paint stencil on canvas 50 x 120 cm P.O.A. ArNst Max Wiedemann explores the dependent relaNonship between pop culture, media and consumerism. In this work he pays tribute to the famous brand Absolut Vodka, turning it into Absolut Wiedemann. Born in Frankfurt in 1977 to an English mother and German father, Wiedemann grew up in a home with diverging personaliNes and cultures that would have a strong influence on his youth. Wiedemann’s art revolves around people’s idenNty and their evoluNon. He plays with the game of hype, having a li_le fun with sensaNonalism and seducNon.
MR DOODLE ‘A Doodle’ 2017 Mr Doodle completed a Doodle corridor at The ExhibiNonist Hotel as part of the ART CORRIDORS programme where 4 public corridors are under constant transformaNon through art. Mr Doodle’s work contains a mixture of characters, objects and pa_erns that contain influence from cereal boxes, video games and old cartoons. ResulNng in a fun and unique blend of doodle craziness. He began as a child by doodling in his sketchbooks but his rapid doodle craze took him on a fun journey of consuming all kinds of objects from dining chairs to campervans. His work is described as GraffiN Spaghes because it twists and tangles over everything in it's path, resulNng in pieces of work that have been completely consumed by the Mr Doodle bug!
NANCY FOUTS ‘‘Il Baccio’ 2012 Oil on canvas and feather EdiNon of three, sold out at Nme of release Signed and numbered by the arNst at the back CerNficate of AuthenNcity Framed by the arNst 64 x 54 cm P.O.A. Surrealist Nancy Fouts explores themes of Nme, religious iconography, nature and humour. The arNst works typically with everyday objects, injecNng them with her unique wit and manipulaNng them in such a way that we seem to recognize them for the first Nme. During the 1960's Fouts co-‐founded the pioneering design and model-‐ making company Shirt Sleeve Studio, creaNng seminal ad campaigns for Tate Gallery and album covers for significant bands including Jethro Tull and Steeleye Span amongst others. Examples of the arNst's works are to be found in established collecNons across the globe, including that of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
PABLO DELGADO ‘Even Less’ PainNng and collage on paper Unique 120 x 80 cm Framed P.O.A. Pablo Delgado is a miniaturist arNst born in Mexico inspired by the ‘cultural richness’ of London. The arNst’s disNncNve street work plays with public percepNon, creaNng visual illusions in the form of his bizarre parallel universe of cut and pasted figures. With the aid of the arNst’s characterisNc marker -‐ drawn shadows, these surreal scenes extend out into the viewer’s space. This work highlights the lure of financial wealth and its relaNvity to altruism. The fact that his miniature public works got noNced and recognized in a city with the one of the busiest street art scene in the world makes his story even more special. Though small and hard to noNce, his work usually offers a social commentary and is always created specifically for its surroundings. The placement is carefully chosen in order to contribute to and complete the idea of the piece.
RALPH STEADMAN ‘The King’ 1999 Five color silkscreen by Ralph Steadman Signed and numbered in pencil by Steadman 55.88 x 76.20 cm Framed P.O.A. This work by Ralph Steadman celebrates the legacy of Elvis Presley by placing him on a pedestal of Lichtenstein-‐inspired ‘Pop Art!’ box. Steadman is renowned for his poliNcal and social caricatures, cartoons and picture books. He conNnues to produce work for the New Statesman where his poliNcal drawings reflect his dismay at the state of the world and the role of the powerful in its decay. Famed for his commissions such as the drawing of Nicola Sturgeon with tartan horns, or Nigel Farage with a braying donkey grin or Donald Trump as a pig wearing Stars and Stripes underpants. Titled Porky Pie, it ran in the paper two years ago and now seems highly prescient.
© Alex Salmond & Nicola Sturgeon by Ralph Steadman Published in New Statesman
© ‘Porky Pie’ by Ralph Steadman Published in New Statesman
ROY‘S PEOPLE ’World Leader’ Fuji Pearl Photographic Archival Paper 84 x 59 cm Framed £375 Roy’s People is an urban arNst who combines miniature figures with elements of photography and the streets to create completely unique works of art. He finds inspiraNon from the current contemporary art scene and recently headed to the dirty streets of London to photograph and capture his work permanently. His style of working allows him to create situaNons in a miniature world that can reflect on our surroundings, feelings and emoNons and each hand craned figure is carefully adapted from its original form allowing him the flexibility to produce anything he so wishes to.
ROY‘S PEOPLE ’CSI London’ Fuji Pearl Photographic Archival Paper 84 x 59 cm Framed £375
ROY‘S PEOPLE ’Another Day Another Dolly Mixture’ Fuji Pearl Photographic Archival Paper 84 x 59 cm Framed £375
SICKBOY ’Meet Me By The Lighthouse’ Medium, acrylic on canvas 130 x 160 cm Framed £6,500 “There's liIle point for me living both comfortably and horizontaly with the warm glow of a television beaming on to your face. To put yourself at risk socially, mentally or physically puts notches on the bedposts of life -‐ pushing that idea to an extreme, you can come closer to look at the no[on of death and laugh in it's face. If you're lucky, you can walk away with an increased gra[tude for your life." A leading arNst to emerge from Bristol's infamous graffiN scene, Sickboy's humorous works have cemented his place in the upper echelons of the BriNsh street art movement. He is one of the first UK arNsts to use a logo in place of a tag, and his red and yellow street logo known as 'The Temple 'and his ‘Save the Youth’ slogan can be seen on walls and wheelie bins worldwide.
STEVEN QUINN ‘Engraved Eyes 1’ Giclee Print EdiNon of 100 59.4 x 84.1 cm Framed £175 Steven Quinn’s most current themes are domesNcizing nuclear, poliNcal and intergalacNc conflicts. “My work is big mel[ng pot where everything informs the other; a collage of inspira[on, style, backgrounds. Most of my ideas strand from science and to date I think one of the coolest things I have done was to have had my DNA tested and printed as a portrait for The Na[onal Portrait Gallery” Collage obsessed arNst & street photographer Steven Quinn has shown his work alongside names such as Damien Hirst and Sarah Lucas at Tate Britain. He has also exhibited at the NaNonal Portrait gallery, the renowned Photographers gallery in Soho, the James Freeman gallery and in various venues throughout London. Quinn has also been showing his work overseas: New York in 2009, Frankfurt in 2014 and, more recently, at the ARC Gallery in Chicago for the “I can’t breathe” exhibiNon.
STEVEN QUINN ‘Engraved Eyes 2’ Giclee Print EdiNon of 100 59.4 x 84.1 cm Framed £175
STEVEN QUINN ‘Peeping Tom’ Giclee Print EdiNon of 50 50 x 50 cm Framed £150
T.WAT ‘Corporate Gangsters, Every LiIle Helps’ 2010 Spray Paint on aluminum mounted board 80 × 65 cm EdiNon of 5 Framed P.O.A. T.WAT’s work ‘Corporate Gangsters, Every Li_le Helps’ is of the notorious Kray twins carrying Tesco Bags. The Krays famously ruled the East End of London, building a criminal empire that rocked the Finies and SixNes. This artwork work brings a_enNon to the role the BriNsh mass outlet superstore chain, Tesco and plays on funding and supporNng regimes around the world including Israel, scene of truly barbarous cruelty meted out to the domesNc populaNon of Gaza in late 2008 and early 2009. Aner billions have been spent bailing out banks and billions more being dropped into the bo_omless pit that is the 'War on Terror', the financial cost to the naNon of the United Kingdom is yet to be properly understood. In February 2010 the arNst T.WAT decorated the newly erected 'monolith' on Parliament Square, in Westminster with a stencil of the ‘Corporate Gangsters’ in peaceful protest to these acNons.
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Image: ‘I’m An Ar[st Your Rules Don’t Apply’ by Robert Osborne held by arNst Carrie Reichardt