Shake it! Shake it! Shake it like a polaroid picture!
Shake that ass Addictees 'cause we've got Mona Lisa mooning us!
Welcome to our blog - the Nick Walker Edition.
You may well ask, "Who dis?" Dis be one of the world's most renowned street artists. As a pioneer of the progressive early 1980's Bristol graffiti scene, Nick Walker's work has inspired a multitude of emerging and established artists.
Nick Walker has mastered his art using the freedom of spray cans with the addition of very controlled and intricate stencilling. He also likes to, "add an element of humour or irony to some paintings [and] to add a little light relief to the walls."
One of Nick Walker's signature images is that of a gentleman in a bowler hat, aka The Vandal. The Vandal came to life in a painting called 'The Morning After', a painting that depicted the artist after a night, 'painting the town red', observing the city behind him with the satisfaction of a job well done. The concept of 'The Morning After' happened in cities across the world, from London to Agra to Paris, and The Vandal went on to feature in a Black Eyed Peas video.
Nick Walker has been known to tackle political themes in his artwork as well. The famous Coran Can (2010) in Paris featured veiled women lifting their skirts to reveal stockings whilst they danced the cancan. It was a commentary on President Sarkozy's plan to ban the burqa in France.
If you want to take a Walk(er) on the wild side check out these prints...
'Moona Lisa' by Nick Walker, hand signed, limited edition serigraph on paper, #31/125, 2007, 75.0cm x 55.5cm
Arty-Fact: She (Moona Lisa) had quite an interesting backstory. One day, (Nick) Walker, Banksy and artist Paul Insect were talking in Paul’s studio. “Banksy said, ‘I don’t reckon anything else can be done with the Mona Lisa,” recalled Walker. “He brings out this picture. It’s this fat, fat Mona Lisa eating a donut. Nah, it’s already been done. He brings out another. Nah, it’s already been done. Ya see? Nothing more can be done. I kept thinking, nah, he’s gotta be wrong!” Weeks later, it hit him. “Add one more O, and she becomes a mooner. Moona Lisa. She’s a mooner! The reason why she’s smiling is because she’s just about to turn around and show her ass. So, that’s how that came about.” Source: Animal
Price: SGD $1,700 (free international shipping until 31st October, 2018; excludes applicable import duties / charges)
'Nikers' by Nick Walker, hand signed, limited edition serigraph on paper, #83/100, 2008, 59.0cm x 40.0cm
Arty-Fact: Three characters are commonly related to Nick Walker’s artwork. The first one is his illustrated doppelganger 'Vandal', the second one is probably 'Mona Lisa', because of his very famous, humorous and provocative Moona Lisa stencil, and the third one is the mysterious girl that appears in his Knickers cycle of artworks. “Nikers" is one of the editions from this later series. The artist used the same stencil pattern a few times in order to re-interpret this seductive piece.
Price: SGD $1,150 (free international shipping until 31st October, 2018; excludes applicable import duties / charges)
'Vandal Triptych' by Nick Walker, hand signed, limited edition serigraph on paper, #117/300, 2008, 44.0cm x 100.0cm
Arty-Fact: "I first came up with the Vandal concept back in 2005. I was walking through London and I saw one of those massive golfing umbrellas on the ground. On second glance I saw that there was someone underneath it lighting up a pipe. This is how the Vandal Triptych print came about, it stuck in my head and it got me thinking that umbrellas act as the perfect smoke screen for pretty much anything, especially graffiti. The second decoy is the outfit, someone dressed as a quintessential Englishman donning a bowler hat is not the kind of person you would expect to be doing graffiti. Having heard the term 'paint the town red' The Vandal decided he has one mission, take it to the extreme and paint in every colour imaginable, not just the town - the world!" ~ Nick Walker; Source: 'The Art of Nick Walker' published by Nick Walker in 2014
Price: SGD $1,350 (free international shipping until 31st October, 2018; excludes applicable import duties / charges)
'38 Pigtails' by Nick Walker, hand signed, limited edition serigraph on paper, #37/50, 2009, 82.0cm x 59.0cm
Arty-Fact: Nick Walker’s work employs a good deal of wry humour, treating iconic figures with a refreshing irreverence such as his two images of the Mona Lisa and his print of the Houses of Parliament. He has been influenced by films like Blade Runner and the visions of 2000AD into developing his own dystopian science fiction imagery. Well known works by Nick Walker include Gods We Trust, Vandal, The Morning After (TMA), Mona Simpson and 38 Pigtails.
Price: SGD $1,600 (free international shipping until 31st October, 2018; excludes applicable import duties / charges)
'Le Corancan' by Nick Walker, hand signed, limited edition serigraph on paper, #61/150, 2010, 75.0cm x 100.0cm
Arty-Fact: Over the years, Nick Walker has made his opinion on political decisions well known. Most notably was “Le Corancan” done in 2010 as a social commentary on the French President Sarkozy’s intention to ban the Burqa in France. The piece was quickly removed from the streets of Paris.
Price: SGD $1,200 (free international shipping until 31st October, 2018; excludes applicable import duties / charges)
Need to see if Moona's rosy cheeks will fit on your wall before adding her to your collection? Click here for our App and 'See It On Your Wall.'
If you've decided you fancy a bit of Bristol in your digs, let your fingers do the Walk(er)ing and email us at:
blair@addictedgallery.com or elena@addictedgallery.com
Until the next one…
Blair & El
Shakin' our jiggly bits (there are some things you just can't unsee)
I see you baby,
Shakin' that ass,
Shakin' that ass!