Mr Brainwash, aka Thierry Guetta, is a French-born, LA-based street artist. In the past, he has used Andy Warhol’s silkscreens of Marilyn as inspiration for portraits of Michael Jackson and Madonna. His latest tribute to MM in her famous gold lamé dress is featured among 40 artworks in a ‘Mr Brainwash takeover’ – including two other silkscreens which explicitly reference Warhol’s ‘Marilyn Diptych’ – on display at the Charles Gilmore Fine Art Gallery in Belfast, Northern Ireland, until December 20.
“Mr Brainwash attained overnight fame when he appeared in the Banksy-directed documentary, Exit Through the Gift Shop … 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 playful in his juxtaposition of the cultural idols of the past, such as Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin, with contemporary icons like Kate Moss.
Mr Brainwash is known for his childlike naivety and positive outlook – in a way, his work can offer people an escape from the everyday. ‘Life is Beautiful’ has even become a trademark of Mr Brainwash’s work, having been the title of multiple exhibits and this mantra can be seen on his individual artwork.
Charles Gilmore says, ‘Mr Brainwash lives by the mantra that art should not be serious. He believes it should promote positivity, freedom and love, and those are the very things people want most in these challenging times.’
The Charles Gilmore Fine Art Gallery prides itself on exclusively sourcing work by award-winning contemporary artists … They are exclusive stockists of Mr Brainwash art in Northern Ireland and ROI, and regularly work with the Mr Brainwash studio to source unique original artworks and commissions from Mr Brainwash on request.” – Belfast Telegraph
The Marilyn Report 