Description: TITLE: The True and famous Story of When AndyLent Bob a Painting and Bob Traded it for a Couch (hand painted across the top and bottom lips of the frame) I am honored to have thousands of collectors own my work across the globe.I also have several well known actors, film-makers, musicians and professional athlete collectors.A partial list includes: Julia Roberts, Jimmy Vaughan,Willie Nelson,Muhammad Aliand Tim Burton. for more information please see:katabillups.com A NOTE FROM KATA:WHAT MAKES MY ART DIFFERENTFROM OTHER ROCK AND ROLL THEMED ART WORKS? When I initially work on this topic years ago, I entitled the article 'Kata's work versus Other CRAP' but nowadays people are so sensitive to 'shaming and blaming etc.' that I couldn't get away with that title anymore. But the true part about it was this: just about anybody can capture an image of someone from the torso up (a bust it's called) but only trained artists can place a subject in a scene and then a small handful in that group have anything to 'say' with their work. That's where my work comes in- each piece has a message derived from some autobiographic event in my life. Since I was a teenage artist, I was driven to express my ideas through my work. When my rock and roll icon artwork began (in the late 1980's) I was one of the first to be working in this genre (beside the great illustrators for the Rolling Stone Magazine and Andy Warhol and a few others). I hinted at above, and most importantly, all my work 'works' on multiple levels and that is one thing that led to its popularity. My collectors are generally well educated and well-traveled people; (many have been to all the major museums in the world) therefore- they recognize the underlying messages, the parts of my work referencing other works, the wryness or comic insinuations I make in certain pieces etc. etc. and that is why they buy my work. I've heard from collectors again and again saying things like: "I don't even LIKE Elvis, but your work spoke to me, and I bought it". That's because my work is not REALLY about Elvis or the Beatles or anyone- it's about life's larger themes which I feel compelled to make a statement about through the recognizable aging (and some now gone) rock icons. They are my doppelgangers. ARTIST'S DESCRIPTION OF PAINTING: The story depicted in this scene is part fact - but mostly from my imagination.Bob was visiting Andy in Greenwich Village one day and Andy offered him a painting on loan.as an aside:(the painting was not the famous Campbell's soup painting I have in the scene-but a large painting of Elvis with a gun.)Bob tied the painting to the top of his car and headed home with it.He never returned the "loaner" painting to Andy.Someone saw the painting at Bob's place and asked Bob to trade for a couch.In my painting- Bob is standing in a "beat generation" type posewith one finger in his belt loop.his gaze is detached and distant.He appears to be interested in what Andy is saying but he is secretly dreaming of a couch.He has on the black "Beatle boots" which he wore at the peak of his fame.Andy is waving his hand in the air as he explains his new Campbell's soup painting.which art historians have concluded - spoke (visually) about mass production of products and images in our society.But this story is disputed by some who knew him well.I decided to paint Andy in a folk art manner in order to amplify some of hismost unique characteristics.His white hair is almost in the shape of a bowl.His long thin legs are covered with dark tight pants and his feet are bare.He is completely relaxed in the domain of his studio.His arm is bending backward in a way that is anatomically impossible...(but exaggerates Andy's gay ethereal nature).Warhol's work had probably been more influential on my work than I now can see from my limited vantage point.Like him. I'm immersed in social commentary with my work- and have quite a few celebrities collect my work. I've not yet achieved his mega-fame ...but the games' not over yet....(and I have gotten my fifteen minutes in here and there- for which I am grateful to my collectors)...Another influence on my rock and roll icon art work has been Howard Finster.I showed with the late great Reverend Howard Finster shortly before he died.Some of my folkier styled work is influenced by him- not only stylistically but by virtue of the fact that he was (to me) the ultimate preacher/painter. Howard often took common recognizable objects (like his giant coke bottle piece) and plastered the image with Bible sayings. Almost as if he were a naive forerunner of subliminal influences in art and culture. ---I will never forget him having an "altar call" at the reception of a joint show we had . He asked us all to sing a couple old hymns together. Most people stood in shock - (as if asking themselves "is this really going on? is this cool/ or politically correct or even LEGAL? "....) but Howard didn't care one iota what anyone thought....and I loved it all and belted out the hymns. Then he asked anyone who was unsaved to come forward (to his folding chair which he rather feebly stood beside) ...but no one camethat evening.... His smile, his voice, his mission- have influenced me indelibly. Howard's beautiful, sensitive, and often spiritual work taught me the beauty of painting without the man made boundaries of perspective and anatomy. the second to last pic. is of me and Howard around 1998 at our joint show shortly before his death.NOTES About The Frame and other Technical Details:This frame is made of indestructible epoxy resin. I sanded it to create a weathered patina. Normally, I like to use wood- but this frame was special. The paining itself kind-of floats right beyond the frame. It is sturdily attached to the frame at both sides- but there is a section above and below the image where your wall behind it. Sometimes, I like to place little l.e.d. lights in cubby holes in my art like this but never got around to it on this one (a suggestion to the future buyer maybe...)I hand painted the title along the top and bottom edges of the frame in tiny white letters.I also created 4 tiny Campbell's soup can replicas for this piece (using my own tiny decals of the soup cans firmly affixed to half sections of wine corks) then firmly affixed to both sides of the frame.I also attached a vintage miniature toy couch to the bottom of the frame.The very first Original (Primary Original) of this piece sold back in 1994.This is Version of the Primary Original piece.It is very similar yet not identical.The Primary Original Painting was of a similar size- and sold to an old friend of Dylan's in about 1990. The painting is created on a piece of non-warping wood-and it measures 14" high and 11" across. The frame is 14" across and 18" high (including the miniature vintage couch at the bottom). (the very exterior frame is new to the work- and so this piece is now larger ---to be updated soon) This piece (as all others) will be shipped with the correcthanging apparatus on back. It is category 3. CATEGORIES OF WORK:(listed in descending order by price and rarity) 1. PRIMARY ORIGINALS These are the most time-consuming, most expensive and generally the largest in scale of my works. They are owned by hundreds of Private Individuals and several Museums worldwide. One Primary Original may take weeks, months or even years to complete. For decades I created an average of five to twenty pieces of this type work per year. I'm taking a break from creating them to build my business and life in new ways. I am not yet sure if I will ever create work in this category again. For updates please check k a t a b i l l u p s . c o m 2. VERSIONS OF WORK These are generally the second most time-consuming and expensive of my works. They are ownedby hundreds of individuals across the world. Each one is an entirely hand-painted VERSION of a Primary Original Painting. They are similar but in no way identical to the PRIMARY ORIGINALS after which they take their inspiration. Within these pieces I've been inspired to rework or add newcharacters, furnishings, backgrounds and colors in ways that never occurred in the PRIMARY ORIGINALS paintings. These pieces may even contain new themes and ideas. I typically devoted one to four months creating each piece (depending on size and complexity). They sometimes (but not always) include unique frames embellished with one-of-a-kind mattes and vintage objects de' artand unusual titles. They are framed in many ways; simply, ornately, etc. They were painted on a variety of surfaces besides just canvas or wood including gallery wrap canvas and small furniture; (both whichrequired no frame). All these works are technically and legally Original Paintings. They are entirely 100% hand painted throughout all the layers applied as the work progressed. I generally created around five to fifteen pieces in this category of work per year. This category of work began in approximately 2004 and ended in 2023. I have around ten to fifteen unfinished pieces within this category in storage and may complete them if I am so inspired in the future. If so, they will be dated the year they are completed. 3. REPLICA ORIGINALS These are typically the third most time consuming type of work (and third most expensive)and are owned by over one thousand people across the globe. There may be over two thousand incirculation. I do not know because I never kept exact records. The demand for them arose when Patrons admired some of my previously sold PRIMARY ORIGINAL pieces and wanted something similar but not as expensive. They are are similar to my VERSIONS of WORK (see category 2. works above) withsome important exceptions. First of all, they are as close to being identical to the PRIMARY ORIGINALS as possible. They have no new creative developments within them (unlike works in category 2.) withthe important exception of the frames which were often elaborately embellished with one-of-a-kindmattes, vintage objects de' art and unusual titles. They are painted on a variety of surfaces (wood,canvas, mirrors, small furniture and other materials). They are hand-painted REPLICAS of some of my favorite PRIMARY ORIGINALS. Each piece is hand painted across the entire surface andmany have additional painting in layers beneath the surface of the top glazes. Each work required atleast a week or several weeks to complete (depending on the size and complexity). They are legally and ethically also Original Paintings in their own right. I began this category of work in approximately 2004. In late 2023 I stopped creating in this category. I have about forty unfinished pieces in this category (in storage) and may complete these works if I am so inspired in the future. If so, they will be dated the year they are completed. 4. SMALL GALLERY WRAP CANVAS REPLICA ORIGINALS This category was created in 2021. I created less than 70 of these and will never create any more. They are similar to my Replica Originals but smaller. For or more on REPLICA ORIGINALS see category3 above. In addition they are created on gallery wrap canvases which are deeper than most average canvases. They're designed to be painted on all four external edges of the canvas (edges which are typically covered by a frame. The idea is for the collector to display the work without a frame and enjoy the unique dimensional effect as the painting 'wraps around' the sides. The artwork may also be displayed 'standing up' on a piece of furniture. Proper hanging apparatus is attached to the back of the canvas. 5. SECOND STYLE REPLICA ORIGINAL PAINTINGS New to the market beginning in 2023 and projected to be my main product going forward, this type of work is similar to my REPLICA ORIGINAL works but less expensive. Like my VERSIONS OF WORK, I've added new elements. This type of work allows endless opportunities to re-express myself (beyondthe original inspiration). I'm adding additional themes and characters to previously created PRIMARY ORIGINAL pieces. Each piece is first printed on a uniquely light-weight yet strong material using state of the art equipment (for maximum clarity of resolution, color, etc.). I then spend several hoursembellishing the piece with hand painted areas (and attaching one or more vintage objects de' art to theframe. The areas of hand painting make each piece an ORIGINAL work of art technically and legally. 6. SPECIALIZED FRAMED OR MOUNTED PRINTS. When I first offered this category at the inception of my rock and roll icon art work, pieces were typically framed after being mounted on foam core or wood. They generally had many objects de' art attached to the piece using glue and or wire. I also mounted the prints on small pieces of furniture, toys, cigar boxes,mirrors, musical instruments etc. I began with very small embellished framed prints at my first show inNashville TN. in the early 1990's. Originally using tiny photographic prints of my work called proof shots,eventually my work expanded in size. I created and sold hundreds (probably over one thousand) of theseworks. The prints mounted on toys, furniture and other objects during this early time were more rare. Icreated about one hundred of them. These pieces were created only between the years 1993 and 2004.They ranged in size from very small (around 3" x 4" to much larger 16" x 20" or so). 7. 2023 SIGNED PRINTS About twenty five years after beginning my rock and roll icon art business, I stopped creating prints. Around 2004 I wanted all my future collectors to own works more unique and valuable than my prints(which were mainly sold framed and with kitsch objects attached as mentioned above in Category 6).This decision was made even though many early collectors (like Julia Roberts) owned these pieces.For one year only (2023) I produced signed prints one more time. This was in the interim of developing a more affordable new product (see category 5 above). The new product evolved as I began to phase out my older categories of work. This made the remaining work more rare and therefore more expensive and I still wanted any potential collector be able to afford my work so I developed a new product. Whilecreating the new product it seemed good to offer signed prints one last time. Each one was producedon extra heavy card stock paper with a gloss finish using the most expensive state of the art equipment. Each one was signed and dated.
Price: 6333 USD
Location: Cadiz, Kentucky
End Time: 2024-10-02T01:11:13.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 14 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Unit of Sale: Single-Piece Work
Signed By: kata billups
Size: Medium (up to 36in.)
Signed: Yes
Date of Creation: 2000-Now
Period: Contemporary (1970 - 2020)
Material: Acrylic, Canvas
Region of Origin: US
Framing: Framed
Subject: Celebrities, Concerts, Figures, Humor, London Underground, Love, Musical Bands & Groups, Musical Instruments, New York, Psychedelia, Tourism, USA, Wall Street
Listed By: Artist
Type: Painting
Signed?: Signed
Year of Production: 2015
Original/Licensed Reproduction: Original
Style: Assemblage, Constructivism, Contemporary Art, Figurative Art, Folk Art, Modernism, Pop Art, Portraiture, Postmodernism
Painting Surface: primed hardwood
Original/Reproduction: Original
Theme: Advertising, Americana, Art, Cities & Towns, Events & Festivals, Exhibitions, Famous Places, History, Hobbies & Leisure, Music, People, Social History, Theater
Features: Framed, Signed
Production Technique: Acrylic Painting
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Handmade: Yes
Time Period Produced: 2010-2019
