A: Is for Celebrity Artists

The newest trend in the world of art is the celebrity artist. It doesn't matter how good because your name makes or breaks you. My mom was an artist so I grew up in the world of exploring museums and galleries. I use to hate going as I was dragged into them at an alarming rate and was inundated with what I considered too much culture. I'd rather been at the beach or in a theater. I have regained my love of art and retained a vast knowledge that must have sunk in through my subconscious, because I definitely do not remember learning what I know. My mom had a best friend Patricia Morrison who was also a Broadway and film actress and a painter. Her work I loved because it was highly sexual and when your in your teens racy always gets your attention. Now, it is not the content but how well known or infamous. Take Bono, not content with being a rock star, or for his work on Third World Debt Relief, Bono has now revealed another talent. The U2 vocalist can paint even if it is only for charity.The works by Bono and his two daughters Jordan, 14, and Eve, 12, on massive white canvasses with large black brush strokes, were designed to accompany a new interpretation of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. Bono's art helped raise money for a hospice and was auctioned by Christies in New York last November for $368,000.00. The hospice is where his Father was cared for while dying of cancer.

David Bowie has his own website for art www.bowieart.com and www.bowiewonderworld.com which also supports young artists in the making. He not only writes music, he paints and sculpts in his spare time. A vast majority of his work is based on his songs. Together with Bono, Yoko Ono, Bryan Ferry, Kate Bush, Lou Reed and Paul McCartney an exhibition was held on behalf of the War Child Charity. All the pieces were linked by a common theme referring back to a musician or band, who was their inspiration. In total twenty three participating musicians created a piece of work for this event.


Musicians don't have the market on the art boom, Supermodel Christie Brinkley was studying art in Paris when she was discovered by a fashion photographer in the 1970's. Billy Joel's "River of Dreams" is her work. Actress Jane Seymore, actor Tony Curtis, Rocky's Sylvester Stallone, Zorba's Anthony Quinn and the list continues. Of course their are agents that represent them www.limelightagency.com and http://artsociety.suite101.com/blog.cfm/celebrity_visual_artists are just two of the many collecting fee's.

Right now one of my favorite contenders in this genere is actor extraordinaire Viggo Mortensen. Besides being the hottest man around (One of People's Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2002) Mortensen is also a painter, and photographer. His paintings are frequently abstract, and often contain fragments of his poetry in them. His paintings have been featured in galleries worldwide, and several appeared in A Perfect Murder. To quote him "Photography, painting or poetry those are just extensions of me, how I perceive things, they are my way of communicating". He doesn't stop there either he is also an accomplished Jazz musician with 3 albums to his credit. "Ancient Spirit, Modern Voice" includes Mortensen’s “Miyelo” series, evocative, panoramic photographs of the Lakota Sioux Ghost Dance, which he photographed while filming Hidalgo.

This last piece is titled After-Darkly-Noon and it is one of my favorites. Art is subjective and we all like what we like. Having a name or a reputation should not influence your like or dislike of a piece. If it moves you and speaks volumes that is all that should count and that is a F.A.C.T.