Noel Fielding, the eccentric mind behind The Mighty Boosh television series, has sold a portrait painting of Ed Sheeran for nearly £1000 at a visual arts exhibition.
Fielding has featured as a guest artist of the month at The Other Art Fair’s Online Studios, selling his artworks off for £912 (roughly $1687 AUD) apiece. All paintings on the website appear to have been sold already.
Noel Fielding, star of The Mighty Boosh, has painted a number of celebrity portraits as guest artist of the month at The Other Art Fair’s Online Studios.
Noel Fielding has received criticism lately for his use of blackface in the character roles of the Spirit of Jazz and Papa Lazarou, resulting in the indefinite removal of his shows, The Mighty Boosh and The League of Gentlemen, from Netflix.
However, he’s still somehow managed to sell off a range of his artworks in a contemporary arts ‘Guest Artist Takeover’ in London. The Other Art Fair’s Online Studios (presented in partnership with Saatchi Art) features Fielding’s visual interpretations of various artists including Michael Jackson, The Sex Pistols, and The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover.
But, we think the funniest one is his portrait of Ed Sheeran; a yellow and orange blob with two black dots for eyes.
@noelfielding11
I don’t know what the press is on about, kiddo, this looks *exactly* like #EdSheeran. It looks more like Ed Sheeran than Ed Sheeran, which is art *exceeding* life, imitation be damned, g. Congratulations, ❤️. #noelfielding pic.twitter.com/7d0LHELUvi— Nero Trask (@NeroTrask) June 15, 2020
“Noel Fielding’s artworks bridge seamlessly the imagined worlds and counterculture references we have been led through courtesy of ‘Mighty Boosh’ and ‘Luxury Comedy’,” Saatchi Art Gallery say on their website.
“Drawing on surrealism, dada and neo-expressionism, Noel’s body of work treats us to a feast of colour and a trip through the triangle window into his soul.”
Noel Fielding has even sold a self-portrait where he conveys himself, in crayon, as a boot decorated in stars.
Fielding previously said of his bizarre art: “The characters I paint are often fantastical, usually half human half animal, strange magical beasts who roam my subconscious. It’s the same in my comedy – I’d rather play Old Gregg, a transexual Merman, than someone who exists in real life.”
“A child could do a better job. Still, he’s managed to make a fortune from them. Good on him,” an art insider told The Mirror.
Noel Fielding definitely explores some odd concepts in his art. But this painting of Ed takes the prize. It’s more Ed Sheeran than Ed Sheeran. It’s fine arts!