Founded in 1967 and based in the same Knightsbridge townhouse, Andipa Gallery have assisted generations of clients across the world to acquire the very best in contemporary art. Originally a Greek and Russian icons gallery, Andipa are known for their original Banksy artworks and many other household names within contemporary art including Damien Hirst, Grayson Perry and more.
Banksy - Love is in the Air
Known for our Banksy signed prints and original Banksy artworks, many collectors come to our gallery because of the artists. When one thinks of Banksy, flowers are not often the first thing that springs to mind. Children, animals and more denser, political topics are often the themes explored by the anonymous artist known the world throughout. Indeed, his vast output of iconic motifs and oeuvres does see him blend cutting wit with biting social and political commentary. One of his most enduring and beloved works is Love is in the Air. Released as a screenprint and in various forms on canvas, card and more. The piece is characteristic of the artist’s street stencil graffiti style and, in typical Banksy aplomb, features a contrasting image that can be interpreted as playful as well as more serious. Central to the image the figure, silhouetted in black and dressed as a militant, wears a baseball cap and bandana to disguise their identity in a pose commonly associated with the throwing of a petrol bomb. However, the “Banksy twist” reverses this notion as the figure throws a bouquet of flowers. A symbol of peace and hope, Banksy subverts the notion of violent protest with the suggestion that love and kindness can conquer.
Buy Banksy Love is in the Air,
Keith Haring - Flowers
Since the 1980's Keith Haring and his works have inspired both collectors and artists with their energetic, primordial nature. Arguably both one of the most important and influential artists of the urban scene, Haring's style effortlessly straddles the boundaries of pop-art, graffiti and minimalism. Taking on the subjects of his era, still pertinent to this day, AIDS, drugs and the "other", Haring's unique style brings a vibrancy and energy, almost childlike, to these serious issues. However, Haring does not just approach these big issues and explored many various, lighter subjects in his sadly short-lived career. Produced towards the end of the 1980’s, the flowers series comprises 5 colourful works featuring interconnected, almost abstract shapes, that are replete with energy. Across the five works Haring creates a fluid sense of movement creating abstract flowers with an almost painterly, pastel quality. Enduring as they are bright, the series was one of the last releases by this icon of street art.
Andy Warhol - Flowers
In 1970, Andy Warhol created a series of screen prints featuring flowers as the principal subject. The series was a departure from his earlier work, which had focused on everyday objects and commercial products, and marked a shift in his artistic style.
The Flower series was initially inspired by a photograph of hibiscus flowers that Warhol found in a magazine. An avid devotee to consumer culture, it is interesting to see Warhol’s ability to extract beauty from the seemingly mundane and sources that one would not generally find inspiration from. Warhol was instantly drawn to the vibrant colours and the graphic quality of the image, and decided to use it as the basis for a new series of prints.
The series evokes the Flower Power movement of the 1960s, Warhol's Flowers have also been interpreted as a symbol of mourning, as the artist created these works just after President John F. Kennedy's assassination. A time of great upheaval and introspection in American culture in an event that shook the world breaking from the promise of youth that Kennedy represented for many.
The resulting prints featured bold, colourful flowers set against various backgrounds. There is a sense of juxtaposition in the works with minimalist detailing in the flowers - varying in each of the 10 works - against the more photorealistic background of stems and grass.
David Hockney - Various iPad works
Arguably one of the most influential British artists of all time, David Hockney's artworks have transcended genres and epoques. Known for his bold and inventive use of colour, form and composition, David Hockney's works capture the brilliance of this artist. Prolific across a range of mediums, Hockney has mastered printmaking, photography, stage design, and of course painting over the course of his career. His works take inspiration from a world entirely created through the senses - colour, warmth, texture and depth create vibrant scenes that radiate from the artworks. Never one to slow down, in recent years he has taken to producing works on iPad and, in typical Hockney fashion, the works explode with life as the artist continues in his pursuit of innovative creation.
Hockney’s fascination with flowers has been present throughout his entire career, and this series showcases his explorations into the still-life genre. From the late ’60s to his most recent exhibition of digital paintings the natural world has played a vital part in the evolution of the artist’s unique style. Using tulips, lilies, godetia or daisies as his subject, Hockney meticulous studies of each flower appear vividly spontaneous in style yet are the result of many hours exploring how space and light interact with the subjects.
With a teenager’s enthusiasm for technology, Hockney, 85, has been using iPads and iPhones for drawing and painting pretty much since they were invented. The tools are handy, and the images easily reproduced.
For more information on any of the artists featured, contact Andipa Gallery via sales@andipa.com or call +44 (0)20 7589 2371.