At the time of the spectacular sale price of Leonardo da Vinci’s 'Salvator Mundi', Axel Bottenberg decided to give his two cents on the scandal. Made by up-cycling a small-scale sculpture, Bottenberg applied two identical copies of Salvator Mundi to the found statuette of a poor artist hawking his goods on the street. This piece is the ultimate tongue-in-cheek comment on the high end elitism of the art market.
- Dimensions: 19 x 26 x 11cm
- Price: £3400.00
Inspired by the discovery and sale of Leonardo Da Vinci's 'Salvator Mundi' - the world's most expensive work of art at the time - Axel Bottenberg has employed sculpture as a way of giving his two cents on the scandal. Made by up-cycling a small-scale sculpture of an artist selling his goods, Bottenberg applied two identical copies of Salvator Mundi to the found statuette, providing a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the high end elitism of the art market. Bottenberg has shown how easy it is to re-produce a Da Vinci - by even doing it twice! This piece is a pun about the value of art, and reflects Bottenberg's often humorous approach to art making. Many of Bottenberg's works include pastiche and contrast of high and low art to generate humour and familiarity, with references to pop culture that ensure his works are accessible to a wide audience, not only elite art professionals. “My art is built on popular culture – but it also has a desire to be popular” With a previous career as an art teacher in a school, Bottenberg has ample experience with promoting art to those who had no interest - as a result, accessibility is a key aspect of his oeuvre. Produced as part of Bottenberg's 'Art History' exhibition, this piece reflects Bottenberg's own serious interest in art history as a subject, despite his own often humorous approach to art making. Art history is a vital part of his practice, and is represented through use of pastiche, irony, and social commentary, perhaps a reflection of his time studying alongside the YBAs (Young British Artists) at the Royal College of Art in the 1980s. Bottenberg's obsession with art history and pop culture ensure his works are humorous, familiar and accessible - any piece within Bottenberg's collection is a statement piece that is unapologetic and of vigour; a perfect addition for any contemporary art collection, space, or home.
Axel Bottenberg is a German artist who works with a range of mixed media to create compelling compositions which blur the boundaries of painting and sculpture. Bottenberg is now based at Bankley Studios in Levenshulme, Manchester, and is renowned for challenging the sphere of contemporary art through his practice. Bottenberg's oeuvre is imbued with entertaining pop culture and art historical references, and his works often reject art tradition through juxtaposing high and low art iconographies. Graduating from the Royal College of Art in 1989 during Thatcher’s Britain and alongside the YBAs (Young British Artists), Bottenberg’s practice is inevitably imbued with social commentary and irony. Bottenberg is heavily inspired by 1960s Pop Art and its resurgence in the 1990s by artists such as Jeff Koons, which he portrays through his own eclectic lens and bold colour palette. Any piece from Axel Bottenberg's oeuvre would be a valuable and compelling asset to any contemporary art collection, space or home.