My Pop Art collaboration with Absolut Vodka. ABSOLUT VLAHAKIS.
Popular culture for breakfast, Lunch and Supper. The brand that has championed pop art vigorously through out the years, from the likes of Warhol, Jean Michel Basquiat and Haring.
Popular culture for breakfast, Lunch and Supper. The brand that has championed pop art vigorously through out the years, from the likes of Warhol, Jean Michel Basquiat and Haring.
ABSOLUT POPART
The silhouette for the Absolut vodka bottle has been synonymous with Pop Art for Decades. Garnering a huge array of creatives to work on the iconic silhouette template, From Andy Warhol (1985 was the first one) to Keith Harring, Britto to Lady Gaga, Basquiat and Jay Z. The list goes on, and now they are looking to add another iconic name. A name from Africa.
Absolut gave me the opportunity to create a bespoke design / art piece for the iconic silhouette which was exhibited at their event
- One Source Live. The event is all about showcasing Africa's most cutting edge creative talent, from music art and fashion.
ARTISTS INSTALLATION STATEMENT , POPULAR CULTURE FOR BREAKFAST LUNCH AND SUPPER
My installation explores the mass culture and popular culture that inspired my artistic journey and also makes a
commentary on where we currently are in our method of consuming pop culture specifically related to screen
culture and screen addictions.
The TV was the beginning of my journey.
The story of this art begins at a very simple and earnest place. I was probably 7 or 8 when I first discovered a
VHS Machine and a recorded copy of “Star Wars - The Empire strikes Back”. I was mesmerised after that first
experience of watching Star Wars. I wanted to recreate that energy that I felt when I watched the movie; the
feeling of transcendence and awe. I began to draw the art that inspired me. Now, almost 20 years later,
nothing much has changed and I haven’t stopped drawing and painting the characters from these movies that
inspire me.
A non linear story about making Art about other Art.
The medium was the TV and the VHS, and VHS now a redundant form of technology? Does MR Video still
exist? As much as i consumed culture through the TV, I wanted to create some of that culture, I wanted to add
to that sea of art i saw, I wanted to be on that TV.
Fast forward to 2018. What is our version of TV?. Is INSTAGRAM our new TV? In my installation piece I
replace the screens with mirrors to show the viewer in that which they view. They can be in the TV.
The piece will become somewhat meta if the viewer takes a selfie in that mirror.
In the 1960s Warhol was already famous for his quote ; "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes”
Who wouldn't want to ?
In an age where going viral is the new famous, and anyone could do it. Warhol did predict culture. Even if the
minutes in his quote turned to 15 seconds.
To quote Kanye Wests song “POWER”
“Power to the people at last, it’s a new hour
Now we all ain't gonna be American Idols
But you can least grab a camera, shoot a viral, huh
Take the power in your own hands”
And I do not intend to glorify fame or screen culture addiction, but to call a spade a spade. Depict it for what it
is , be satirical and have fun, revel in the TVs Nostalgia and make a beautiful form of art from a now almost
redundant form of technology. And put ourselves at the centre.
ABSOLUT
"In the Future, everybody will be world famous for 15 Minutes" - Andy Warhol
ABSOLUT x VLAHAKIS for Cafe Caprice. Building on the collaboration with Absolut comes a bespoke design / art piece based off of the bottle silhouette I designed for One Source Live and reinterpreted for Cafe Caprice Capetown . ABSOLUTVLAHAKIS x CAPRICE
