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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
Group Exhibition
34FineArt is pleased to announce a new group exhibition entitled
Look Mickey! The exhibition will feature works by several well
known local and international artists, who have in various ways
appropriated this iconic image of popular culture.
Mickey Mouse was created 87 years ago by Walt Disney and Ub
Iwerks at Walt Disney Studios in California, and the much loved
figure is now often associated with mass media and consumerist
culture. Starting life as Mortimer Mouse, Mickey first became widely
know after featuring in the film Steamboat Willie, which premiered in
New York on November 18, 1928. The film was an instant success,
and was also the first animation to precisely synchronise its audio
and visual tracks. Ub Iwerks' initial design was significantly
influenced by the frame animation requirements of the time, with
Mickey's circular body and three fingered hands proving much
quicker, and therefore cheaper, to animate by hand. Over the years
the character has undergone several makeovers, and has also been
joined by a cast of anthropomorphic friends, like girlfriend, Minnie
Mouse, Pluto the dog, Donald Duck, Goofy, and his nemesis, Pete.
Animator Fred Moore was responsible for the first changes,
replacing Mickey’s round frame with a pear-like body more
reminiscent of the shape we know today, as well as shortening his
nose and adding pupils and white gloves.
By 1937, Disney Studios was producing about 12 Mickey short films
a year, and between 1930 and 1975 Mickey was also featured
extensively as a comic strip character drawn by Floyd Gottfredson.
Merchandising followed, as well as the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
series, resulting in Mickey becoming one of the most identifiable
cartoon icons in the world. This ubiquity also lead to the image being
appropriated as a form of symbolic cultural currency. On American
ballot papers, for example, the figure is sometimes used to indicate a
protest vote, and further afield Mickey is often seen to symbolise the
USA and the greed of its large corporations in the protection of
trademarks and copyright infringement.
In the same way Mickey has been reworked and celebrated by
various artists, including Keith Haring, Banksy, Takashi Murakami,
and Damien Hirst, and has inspired a younger generation of Pop and
Urban artists. Both Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol also produced
seminal works based on Mickey as icon and visual image.
"The idea of doing [a cartoon painting] without apparent
alteration just occurred to me ... and I did one really almost half
seriously to get an idea of what it might look like. And as I was
painting this painting I kind of got interested in organizing it as
a painting and brought it to some kind of conclusion as an
aesthetic statement, which I hadn't really intended to do to
begin with. And then I really went back to my other kind of
painting, which was pretty abstract. Or tried to. But I had this
cartoon painting in my studio, and it was a little too formidable. I
couldn't keep my eyes off it, and it sort of prevented me from
painting in any other way, and then I decided this stuff was
really serious ... I would say I had it on my easel for a week. I
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
would just want to see what it looked like. I tried to make it a
work of art. I wasn't trying just to copy. I realised that this was
just so much more compelling." – Roy Lichtenstein
Prominently featured in this exhibition and a first in South Africa, will
be works by one of the youngest individuals currently making waves
in the art world, fourteen year old Skyler Grey from Los Angeles.
Already described as one of the brightest up-and-coming artists in
the United States, Grey is your average 14 year-old, except for the
impressive fact that his unique street art is on display in galleries
across the globe, rather than on the family fridge. Grey's work has
been showcased in London, Switzerland and his first solo show in
2013 in LA drew huge crowds.
“I think art is a language and a lot of people don't speak that
language. One of the reasons a lot of people don't speak that
language is because they took the arts out of schools.” - Skyler
Grey
Also included in the show will be a highly sought after limited edition
Mickey interpretation by Damien Hirst especially commissioned by
Disney, the original of which fetched £750,000 at auction; as well as
works by artists Mr. Brainwash, D*Face, Ceet, Rouke Van Dal, Trust
Icon, Eyesaw, Robin Coleman, Osch, RTX, Dillon Boy, Death NYC,
Lewis Bannister, Esther Mahlangu, Asha Zero and Jade Doreen
Waller.
Do not miss the opening on Tuesday 11 November 18:30. Runs
until 20 December 2014.
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
Damien Hirst ( UK )
Mickey 2014
Serigraph with glaze
Edition of 250
87,5 x 70cm
©2014 the artist, Disney
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
TAKASHI MURAKAMI ( Japan ) And Then Rainbow 2005
Serigraph with glaze
Edition of 50
40 x 40cm
'And Then Rainbow©2005 Takashi Murakami / KaiKai KiKi Co., Ltd. All rights Reserved
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
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11 November - 20 December 2014
Jade Doreen Waller ( SA )
Mickey Blue Brush Bow 2014
Oil and spray paint on canvas
150cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
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11 November - 20 December 2014
OSCH ( Chile )
Party Time UK 2014
Mixed Media, spray-paint on canvas
100 x 100cm
Edition 3/5
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
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11 November - 20 December 2014
JADE DOREEN WALLER ( SA )
Pop Snicker 2014
Hand painted Resin edition 5 + 1 A/P
Hand painted Bronze edition 3 + 1 A/P
60cm ( without base )
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
CEET ( French )
Mickey Happy Face 2014
Mixed media on canvas
67 x 67cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
ROUKE VAN DAL ( UK )
Mickey Mouth 2013
Mixed technique stencil on canvas
76 x 61cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
SKYLER GREY ( USA )
The Soy El Rey ! 2013
Acrylic, spray paint and ink on canvas
110 x 110cm Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
MR. BRAINWASH ( French / USA )
Charlie & Mickey 2014
Stencil with mixed media on paper
76 x 56cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
Pegasus ( USA )
Miley Mickey 2014
Stencil, mixed media with glitter on canvas
70 x 50cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
Asha Zero ( SA )
Possible portrait of Broop Nook 2007
Acrylic on board
40 x 30cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
CEET ( French )
Mickey ‘Mouss' Club 2014
Mixed media on canvas
68 x 67cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
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11 November - 20 December 2014
Takashi Murakami ( Japan )
Melting DOB D 2006
Silkscreen with platinum leaf on paper
Edition of 50
40 x 40cm ©2001 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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11 November - 20 December 2014
Takashi Murakami ( Japan )
Melting DOB E 2006
Silkscreen with platinum leaf on paper
Edition of 50
40 x 40cm ©2001 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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11 November - 20 December 2014
MR. BRAINWASH ( French / USA )
Mickey and Minnie 2014
Stencil and mixed media on paper
122 x 122cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
DILLON BOY ( USA )
The Crazies 2014
Stencil and mixed media on canvas
91 x 91cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
MR. BRAINWASH ( French / USA )
Mickey 2014
Stencil and mixed media on paper
76 x 56cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
EYESAW ( UK )
This is not an Original Banksy, It's a Mickey Mouse 2014
Spray-paint stencil on canvas
110 x 140cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
Robin Coleman ( UK )
The Real Deal ! 2014
Mixed media collage on canvas
91 x 61cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
CEET ( French )
Red Sun 2014
Mixed media on canvas
130 x 109cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
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11 November - 20 December 2014
TRUST.ICON ( UK )
Mickey with machine gun ( white ) 2014
Mixed media on canvas
50 x 76cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
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11 November - 20 December 2014
TRUST.ICON ( UK )
Mickey with machine gun ( black ) 2014
Mixed media on canvas
50 x 76cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
ASHA ZERO ( SA )
All Star no Twelve
Acrylic on board in artist’s frame
26 x 16cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
CEET ( French )
Mister Green 2014
Mixed media on canvas
99 x 99cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
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11 November - 20 December 2014
RTX ( S.A )
Composite Mickey 2014
Chromogenic print, diasec mounted
Edition of 5
34 x 48cm
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
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11 November - 20 December 2014
LEWIS BANNISTER ( UK )
Hand painted South African 20 Rand note 2014
7 x 13.5cm
Unique
LEWIS BANNISTER ( UK )
Hand painted Zimbabwean 10 000 000 Dollar note 2014
7.5 x 14.7cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
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11 November - 20 December 2014
LEWIS BANNISTER ( UK )
Hand painted Chinese 20 Yuan note 2014
7 x 14.6cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
LEWIS BANNISTER ( UK )
Hand painted American 1 Dollar note 2014
6.5 x15.5cm
Unique
LEWIS BANNISTER ( UK )
Hand painted Chinese 5 Yuan note 2014
5.7 x 12.5cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
SKYLER GREY ( USA )
United States of Hollywood 2014
Acrylic, spray-paint and ink on canvas
100 x 100cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
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11 November - 20 December 2014
CEET ( French )
Kids Garden 2013
Mixed media on canvas
151 x 120cm
Unique
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
EYESAW ( UK )
This is not an Original Banksy, It's a Mickey Mouse 2014
Stencil and mixed media on canvas
Edition of 5
25 x 25cm
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
RTX ( S.A )
Street Mickey 2014
Chromogenic print, diasec mounted
Edition of 5
31 x 48cm
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
11 November - 20 December 2014
JADE DOREEN WALLER ( SA )
Pop Snicker 2014
Hand painted Resin edition 5 + 1 A/P
Hand painted Bronze edition 3 + 1 A/P
60cm ( without base )
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Look Mickey! Group Exhibition
34FineArt.com
ASHA ZERO ( SA 1975 - )
A classically trained artist, Asha Zero is known for a
collagist approach to painting. Zero’s work is a blend of
Pop art parody, Dada conceptualism, and pictorial
illusionism. Zero effectively renders the heterogeneity of
post-industrial urban life, fettered by the omnipresence
of mass media, which Zero readily borrows from to
construct detailed trompe l'oeil compositions inspired by
newspaper headlines, street art, posters, album covers,
fashion spreads, and print ads. Zero’s work is as
deceptive as it is honest, at first glance bearing the
appearance of paper collage, but on closer inspection
revealing careful and considered surface juxtapositions
executed in acrylic paint. Zero finds subject matter by
measure of happy accidents and readymade
circumstances, illustrating the neurosis of late
capitalism. Zero pieces together fragmented visions of
the counterfeit, transmitted truths that erase any
distinction between the authentic and inauthentic; where
dominant values no longer teeter on the opposition
between good and evil, but tinker on the pitting of evil
against ‘evil’. More so, Zero attempts to make such
polarizations null and void. Ultimately, Zero is neutral,
merely delivering facsimiled captions from ground zero,
stumbling upon the ubiquitous and moribund
relationship between the original and the representation.
CEET ( FRENCH 1971 - )
Fouad Ceet a contemporary artist with strong roots in
the Graffiti movement goes by the street moniker, CEET
and is a founding member of two of France’s oldest
graffiti crews, Truskool and Trumac, that emerged out of
Toulouse, South of France in 1988. The significance of
the crews and their style made a fundamental impact on
the French Graffiti movement and was key in putting
France on the growing global graffiti scene. Through
travel and collaboration with graffiti writers around the
world, he adapted his personal style based strongly
around the eponymous New York ‘wild style’. Ceet has
been based in China since 2003 where Graffiti and its
art forms are known but were relatively new concepts.
This provided him with a blank canvas to experiment
and improve on his style and techniques.
Ceet has been exhibiting across Europe since the late
90’s and has managed to successfully widen his talent
into different mediums including sculpture, installation
and printing. This enabled him to exhibit in some of the
leading contemporary art venues in the region. He has
also been invited to represent Adidas, Airbus, Prada,
Lowe, Ecko and Moiselle as their Art Ambassador.
DAMIEN HIRST ( BRITISH 1965 - )
Damien Hirst was born in Bristol in the UK. Hirst is an
artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is the most
prominent member of the group the Young British Artists
(or YBAs), who dominated the art scene in the UK
during the 1990s. Death is a central theme in Hirst's
works. He became famous for a series of artworks in
which dead animals (including a shark, a sheep and a
cow) are preserved—sometimes having been dissected
—in formaldehyde. The best known of these being The
Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone
Living, a 4.3m tiger shark. He has also made "spin
paintings," created on a spinning circular surface, and
"spot paintings", which are rows of randomly coloured
circles created by his assistants. Hirst's 2012
retrospective at the Tate Gallery, set records for
attendance. Damien Hirst was commissioned by Disney,
11 November - 20 December 2014
to design and create an image of Mickey and the the
original fetched £ 902,500 at auction.
DILLON BOY ( USA 1979 -)
James Dillon Wright a contemporary artist, graphic and
toy designer was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona
and is now based in Las Vegas. He began private art
lessons at the age of 9, and made his first professional
sale at the age of 14. In 2008 he was featured in TIME
Magazine, Person of the Year issue alongside Shepard
Fairey. Dillon Boy's installation of the, "Las Vegas
Centennial," received critical acclaim when he was
chosen to create two large murals along the I-95
Freeway. Other projects include working with the Susan
G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation by painting a
rendition of the Mona Lisa and STREET SMART, a
collaborative street art installation in Norway. His work is
in a number of collections - The Mandalay Bay Hotel &
Casino, The Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino, Universal
City Walk Orlando, FL, and Grand Central Terminal New
York and of celebrities such as Robin Williams, Weeman of Jackass and Oscar Goodman, the former Mayor
of Las Vegas.
ESTHER MAHLANGU ( SA 1935 - )
Esther Mahlangu is regarded as the most important
traditional Ndebele artist. She is best known, as the first
person to transfer the traditional mural art to canvas and
also onto a BMW for their prestigious Art Car collection.
She utilizes feathers and bundled-twigs as brushes in
the traditional way, utilising natural pigment but also
works with conventional paints. Mahlangu’s career
propelled in 1989 when she was invited to participate in
the landmark Magiciens de la Terre exhibition in Paris. In
1991, BMW invited her to participate in its prestigious Art
Car program. Since 1979, BMW has commissioned 15
artists, including Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol, David
Hockney, and Frank Stella. Mahlangu is the only
traditional female artist engaged to paint a BMW Art Car.
The National Museum for Women in the Arts in
Washington, DC, displayed Mahlangu’s BMW in 1994
and at the same time commissioned her to paint the
façade of an annex building. In 2004, she executed a
78-foot wide mural at the art museum in Bochum,
Germany, for the exhibition, New Identities:
Contemporary South African Art. Today, the DC and
Bochum commissions exist only in documentary form.
Her latest 2014 project was the completion of two large
scale murals of 3 x 5m at the Virginia Museum of Fine
Art. She has exhibited extensively across the globe over
the past decades.
EYESAW ( UK )
Eyesaw is a UK-based street artist best known for
subverting advertisement posters found in London bus
shelters, often using simple silhouettes with amusing
anecdotes. “I aim to make the viewer question their
surroundings and the world we live in and their role in
society. By placing my work in prime advertising space
the passer-by is almost fooled into believing my work is
an advert...” Eyesaw traces his graffiti career back to his
primary school days when he and a friend painted a
classroom floor with their feet. “We were later punished
by the headmaster. To this day, I feel the injustice; this
might have been the start of my disregard for authority
and my love of graffiti.” In 2008 a nine artists including
Eyesaw were commissioned to paint a high profile
graffiti mural in the Royal Albert Hall depicting the hall's
138-year history, and displaying the most iconic figures
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to have graced the Hall’s stage, including images of Jimi
Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Muhammed Ali and Luciano
Pavarotti.
JADE DOREEN WALLER ( SA 1987 - )
Waller is a devoted artist who gained a National Diploma
Cum Laude in Fine Art from the Ruth Prowse School of
Art, Cape Town with majors in Painting, mixed media
installation and sculpture in 2009. The artwork is
characterized by an ethereal punctuation of symbols,
whispering of a magical momentary fusion of the past,
the present and the future. Waller’s allegories, a glimpse
into her world, are superbly realised with meticulous
detail, reminiscent of Dutch and Flemish styles. The
bizarre juxtaposition of objects, their unexpected
arrangements, and their realist but metallic execution all
work to create artworks that speak to the discourse of
Pop Surrealism, in which young artists use traditional
methods in contemporary ways. Her ability to
innovatively manipulate and combine contrasting
images offers a lucid insight into how Waller interprets
and perceives her surrounding reality. In 2014 her work
was very well received in London where she she
showed work at Graffik Gallery, in a solo exhibition. Her
work is included in numerous collections worldwide.
LEWIS BANNISTER ( UK 1982 -)
After growing up in uninspiring Wood Green London,
Lewis’s art teacher handed him a copy of ‘Spray can art’
which inspired him to pursue art as a career. Since 1997
Lewis has altered between various styles working under
the pseudonym 'jive' between 2002 and 2012. After
completing a few college courses and being accepted
into St. Martins, he decided to attend London
Metropolitan University in stead, but left soon after
enrolling. In 2011 he met Ben Oakley and after taking
his advice he decided to drop ‘jive’ and work under his
real name. Lewis now paints on unusual surfaces.
MR BRAINWASH ( FRENCH/USA 1966 -)
Thierry Guetta aka Mr. Brainwash was born in Paris in
1966 and is now living in Los Angeles. A selfproclaimed filmmaker and street artist. According to the
Banksy-directed film Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010),
Guetta began as a proprietor of a clothing store and
amateur videographer who was first introduced to street
art by his cousin, the street artist Invader, and who
filmed street artists through the 2000s and "evolved" into
an artist in his own right in a matter of weeks after an
off-hand suggestion from Banksy. A number of critics
have observed that his works strongly emulate the styles
and concepts of Banksy, and have speculated that Mr.
Brainwash is an elaborate prank staged by Banksy, who
may have created the works himself. Banksy insists on
his official website, however, that Exit Through the Gift
Shop is authentic and that Brainwash is not part of a
prank. In 2009, pop icon Madonna commissioned
Guetta to design the cover art for her Celebration album.
Working primarily with layers of screen print and
stencilled images, his compositions are emblematic of a
graffiti wall inundated with 20th century iconography. He
is both sly and playful in his juxtaposition of the cultural
idols of the past (Einstein, Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn
Monroe) with the icons of today (Kate Moss, Madonna).
The vibrant palette and references to pop artists like
Andy Warhol and Keith Haring add a puckish wink. To
add to his intentionally derivative persona, Guetta uses
a special signature and authentication on all of his
artworks. All unique MBW artworks have his mantra
11 November - 20 December 2014
"Life is Beautiful", his thumbprint, hand-signature and
assigned torn dollar bill.
OSCH / Otto Schade ( CHILE 1971 -)
Schade was born in Chile and he initially studied
architecture at the Bio Bio University in Concepcion,
Chile. As a successful architect, he has been awarded
for public and private projects. He exhibited in
Concepcion, Berlin, Moscow, New York, Amsterdam
and London where he is currently living and working.
Otto’s painting ranges from abstraction, surrealism to
urban art. Working mainly with oil paint on stretched
canvas, he also practices other techniques such as
collage, illustration, stencilling and printing. The themes
behind his compositions are infused with personal
experiences, metaphorical messages and irony. His
work has been featured in numerous publications of
Street Art and remnants for his work can be found
worldwide in public spaces.
PEGASUS ( USA )
Pegasus is the alias of an anonymous North London
street artist. Originally from Chicago, his stencilled
pieces play with popular culture's most recognizable
icons, such as Marilyn Monroe, JFK, Amy Winehouse
and I love Lucy, and are sometimes ironic or
controversial. Influences include Andy Warhol, Robert
Rauschenberg, Keith Haring, Mr. Brainwash, Daren
West the Neon Artist, Horace Panter, Eelus and Banksy.
Pegasus is featured in two publications in 2013, Happy
Graffiti and Planet Banksy. Pegasus made headlines
with a stencil depicting the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate
Middleton, as the Virgin Mary with Prince George as
baby Jesus inspired by the 14th Century painting
Madonna And Child by Italian artist Duccio di
Buoninsegna. Pegasus is currently working on his first
solo exhibition in 2014.
ROBIN COLEMAN ( UK )
Born in the UK and without formal art training or
schooling, Robin Coleman’s popularity and success are
purely down to his hard work and original style. Each
painting Robin produces takes hours and hours of hard
work and dedication, he’s an artist that refuses
assistants or interns, hence the demand for the few
works that are produced is extremely high. He started
painting to relieve the stress from a debilitating spinal
injury, which he still battles with today, His early
experimental pieces involved images of Marilyn Monroe,
The Krays and Jimi Hendrix. Moving forward his
expression was found in the use of mixed media such as
stamps, newsprint, comic books and magazine cuttings.
Robin has been included in numerous exhibitions both
in the UK and Internationally.
ROURKE VAN DAL ( UK 1969 - )
Born in Bradford, he cemented his place on the Urban
Art scene and takes inspiration from the streets on
which he grew up: rundown warehouses and “concrete
kingdom” of West Yorkshire. In 2008 the artist
collaborated with photographer Gavin Watson, Van Dal
created a collection of iconic portraits based on the ‘The
Wycombe Skins’ series. This style would inform his work
for the next two years, resulting in several sold out print
editions and exhibitions in Europe and the United
States. Most recently the artist has revisited his Pop
roots with a series of portraits including depictions of
Elvis Presley, Superman and Betty Boop. 2013 marked
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a prolific year with Van Dal contributing work to the
'Contraband' exhibition at Black Apple Art in Los Angeles
whilst simultaneously exhibiting new work at RedHouse
and launching his own studio in Yorkshire. Since 2007
Van Dal has exhibited extensively in Europe and the
USA .
RTX (SA 1960 - )
There is not much information regarding RTX's life or
real identity. Classically trained in photogrammetry the
artist utilises digital photo-collage to assemble
fragmented compositions.
SKYLER GEY ( USA 1990 - )
Skyler Grey is your average 14 year-old, except for the
impressive fact that his unique street art hangs in
galleries across the globe rather than under a magnet
on his family’s refrigerator. Known as the "Fresh Prince
of Street Art" Grey’s work has been showcased at
Graffik Gallery in London and Trace Gallery in
Switzerland, and the Baldwin Hills resident has already
had his first solo exhibition in 2013 at the Lab Art
Gallery, LA. He often samples pop culture characters
such as Pac-Man and Wile E. Coyote to symbolize his
own objectives. One of his most iconic images is that of
Amy Winehouse and is featured in his “Queen Amy”
series. Grey estimates that he spends between 60-72
hours on a single piece, which he creates with acrylic
and aerosol on canvas. Grey chalks his rising popularity
up to “the magic of social media.” Often inspired by
Basquiat, Skyler has become one of the big up-andcoming artists in the United States.
TAKASHI MURAKAMI ( JAPANESE 1962 - )
Murakami is an internationally prolific contemporary
Japanese artist. He works in fine arts media - such as
painting and sculpture- as well as what is conventionally
considered commercial media - fashion, merchandise,
and animation. He attended Tokyo University of the Arts
and majored in Nihonga, the ‘traditional’ style of
Japanese painting that incorporates traditional
Japanese artistic conventions, techniques and subjects.
Though he would go on to earn a Ph.D. in Nihonga, he
gradually became disillusioned with the field’s insular,
highly political world and started to explore more
contemporary artistic styles, media, and strategies. He
founded Superflat, a postmodern art movement
influenced by manga and anime. Murakami is the
founder and President of Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd., through
which he manages the careers of several younger artists
and organizes the biannual art fair GEISAI. In 2008,
Murakami was named one of Time magazine's "100
Most Influential People", the only visual artist included.
Sourced from the artists and wikipedia.org
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