‘Turning the dark side into the art side,’ a group of renowned contemporary artists have provided their unique spin on iconic Star Wars imagery with custom-painted stormtrooper helmets. Damien Hirst, Mr. Brainwash, Andrew Ainsworth, Joana Vasconcelos and others participated in the Art Wars display at Saatchi Gallery.
Each artist was given a replica Stormtrooper helmet made from the original molds used for the first Star Wars movie in 1976, and asked to alter or decorate it however they saw fit. Banksy film subject Mr. Brainwash (‘The Borat of the Art World’) offered up yet another homage to Andy Warhol with Campbell’s Condensed Trooper Spray.
Damien Hirst, known for some of the modern art scene’s most bizarre and unconventional installations, paint his with colored polka dots reminiscent of his famous spot paintings. Artist Yinka Shonibare painted his in an African, music-themed motif with tiny glass beads, and David Bailey offered up a ‘Haitian Witch Doctor.’
Nearly forty years after its debut, Star Wars continues to inspire art in all forms, including graffiti, life-sized Lego X-Wing Starfighters and even yoga poses like ‘Downward Facing Wookie.’
