Mr Brainwash (French 1966 - ) WORK WELL TOGETHER

Hammer

R130,000

Mr Brainwash (French 1966 - ) WORK WELL TOGETHER

More Information

signed
mixed media on paper
76 by 56,5cm; 105,5 by 86 by 5cm including framing

Thierry Guetta, professionally known as ‘Mr. Brainwash’, is a French born street artist. His work is a combination of pop imagery and cultural icons often illustrated through the mediums of spray-paint, stencil work and screen-printing, lending itself to a ‘street art aesthetic’. His journey into the world of art started by shadowing famous street artists such as Space Invader and Banksy, documenting their art and recording thousands of hours of footage. He quickly became fascinated with the clandestine art process, forfeiting his day job and immersing himself in the culture of street art.

The Oscar nominated, Exit Through the Gift Shop 2010, was a film directed by Banksy using footage captured by Guetta. The film explores the underground world of street art, following Banksy’s famous journey through North America, however, the plot changes almost immediately and concentrates on Guetta’s adoption of the Mr. Brainwash persona. The film centres around Guetta’s rise to fame as he struggles to assemble his first exhibition, Life is Beautiful 2008. Guetta’s factory-made process depicted throughout the film directly references the pop art movement and the installation of the artworld. Through this process Guetta emphasises the commercial value of art and the process of making.

Within lot 309, Work Well Together, Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Walt Disney’s Micky Mouse and Andy Warhol’s iconic Soup Cans are all referenced. Work Well Together clearly demonstrates Mr. Brainwash's fascination with popular culture, using iconic artworks found throughout different periods. He merges these symbols onto one canvas in an attempt to make art more accessible to everyone. A fusion between pop art and street art. His artistic intentions are undoubtedly aligned with the original pop artists, ‘producing art for everybody that can be experienced everywhere’.

Masterworksfineart.com. Mr. Brainwash Biography. [online] Available:

Exit Through the Giftshop. Banksy, 2010.