Internationally acclaimed graffiti artist Temper, who has been commissioned by the likes of Roman Abramovich, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, Saatchi and Saatchi and created graffiti art for Coca-Cola, is set to rock the art scene once again with cover:versions, his 14th collection in 20 years.
The collection, cover:versions, is a composition inspired by 12 of music’s most iconic records that have been transformed by Temper into works of art that see the artist create a collection using oils and acrylic, a first for the graffiti artist who is known for his skills with a spray can.
In taking well-known album artwork, from successful and influential artists and next adding his own iconic graffiti characters – the B-Boys, which have been with him since the start of his career- he’s created a new and exciting body of work that’s relatable and nostalgic. This collection is the harmony between the landscape and the characters, which explores the old and the new. Temper’s successfully bought together two artistic concepts in such a way that a new narrative has been created and captures the viewers’ attention.
Combining a traditional medium with his signature conceptual style, wasn’t an easy decision to make, he says: “Using oil paint was so different to spray paint, spray paint travels out of the spray can at approximately 130mph so in effect my brain has to be working at least 260mph to keep ahead of the paint. Although, when it came to the use of oil it was quite frustrating at first to feel my brain rushing to my usual speed and realising that oil paint moves at 5mph.
“This was the hardship of this new experience with brushes; I had to really adjust my whole way of thinking in front of the canvas. Physically, I had dramatically changed the size of canvas too, so I had to get used to a smaller scale of painting, this also brought other physical demands, standing still with very little movement is so far apart from the dynamics of my spray paint technique.”
With cover:versions, Temper has ensured the integrity of his vision is realised through every detail, no matter how minute; the size of the canvasses on which the original art is presented measure thirty-three inches and one third exactly – in tribute to the revolutions per minute of a traditional vinyl album. The prototype for the original frame was hand-made from forty-five records and measures seven inches in width representing the original single format, and finally he has created twelve covers in this collection, which represent twelve inches or the size of a traditional album cover.
However, cover:versions, also shows how the artist Temper has progressed his career over the years, which has seen many highs that include him being the first to create iconic celebrity portraits in graffiti, in the collection ‘The Good Die Young’ that revolutionised portraiture. Speaking about the collection, Temper, born Arron Bird, says: “Coming from a working class background in Wolverhampton, my first introduction to art was seeing album covers in a cousin’s house and this is something that has always stuck with me. I’ve always been known for my photo realism and this collection has allowed me to show another side of myself and explore a new medium.
“When people see the collection they’ll be able to go on a journey through the records and see the skill it has taken to create each background and see how I’m always looking to push the boundaries and break new personal records.”
The originals of cover:versions will be officially unveiled at Castle Fine Art, Bruton Street with the artist on Thursday 15th May between 6pm and 9.00pm and will be on display until 1st June. Keep an watching eye on our website at http://www.originalartshop.co.uk for more news on this fascinating collection.
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