Art & Celebrities

Celebrities have 2 types of relationship with art – they make it or they collect it. As people gain fame, they look to other avenues to explore and further their creative space. Turning to art is a very popular trend among celebrities. Make a few paintings, organize a fund raiser, call all your friends, auction off your paintings for a ‘noble’ cause, and suddenly you are also an artist with a conscience.

But in all honesty, how much of celebrity art can actually be termed ‘art’? Red Skelton’s creepy clowns, Adolf Hitler’s impersonal rendition of buildings, Anthony Hopkins’ abstracts that look straight out of Hannibal, and Jane Seymour’s shaky Impressionist inspired paintings might not hold much appeal in terms of art, although they might be good unwinding options for the celebrities themselves. Similarly, Sylvester Stall one’s scrawling canvases, Ringo Starr’s mouse driven lines on MS Paint, or former US President George. W. Bush’s childlike paintings of dogs and Michael Jackson’s furniture with faces and drawings of Charlie Chaplin barely make it to the realm of art. And yet, they are all celebrities, and their so-called art does not lack for any audience.

This does not mean that all celebrities are poor artists. Viggo Mortensen’s own paintings were used in his movie ‘A Perfect Murder’; Lucy Liu’s abstract paintings have already featured in 3 exhibitions and Dennis Hooper’s classes at the Kansas City Art Institute gave him a solid foundation for excellence in both photography and painting. Prince Charles, Joni Mitchell, Dwayne Hickman and Tony Bennett are all known for their art.

The other connection between art and celebrities is as collectors. With loads of money to spare, celebrities can often be found buying famous works of art for their private collections. Steve martin collects Picasso and Steven Spielberg loves Norman Rockwell. Jack Nicholson, Robbie Coltrane and Tim Rice all favor Jack Vettriano. Together Brangelina collect Banksy, while Brad Pitt is also fond of Jean Nouvel. Andrew Lloyd Webber has a fantastic collection of Pre-Raphaelites, Madonna is a Frida Kahlo fan, and Elton John collects works from everyone including Damien Hirst, Lucas Samaras, Man Ray, Berenice Abbott, Picasso, Andy Warhol and Matisse.

While art is always considered a good investment, it also gives celebrities a more refined and intelligent air. Indulging in artwork is a great stress buster, and buying art a fantastic financial move. Either way, the world of art has always been and will continue to be marked by celebrity presence.http://tedaa.com/