Gary Grimes on why celebrities struggle to be taken seriously as visual artists
In a cultural piece for It's Nice That, Gary Grimes examines the challenges faced by celebrities seeking recognition as visual artists, mentioning Adrien Brody, Jack White, Ed Sheeran, and Robbie Williams. Brody's collage, 'Cane's Anthem,' fetched $425,000 but faced criticism from ARTnews. Jack White's exhibition in London was rated one star by The Guardian's Jonathan Jones. Ed Sheeran's artwork was criticized for its negative impact on abstract art, with both he and White showcasing their work at Damien Hirst's Newport Street Gallery. Robbie Williams' upcoming 2025 show, 'Radical Honesty,' featuring rapid iPad sketches, was labeled 'incredibly bad art' by Eddy Frankel. Grimes highlights exceptions like Sharon Stone and Brad Pitt, who received favorable critiques, arguing that elitism in the art world obstructs celebrity artists.
Key facts
- Adrien Brody's collage 'Cane's Anthem' was shown at a Raising Cane's in Times Square and sold for $425,000 at an amfAR gala.
- Jack White's London sculpture exhibition received a one-star review from Jonathan Jones in The Guardian.
- Ed Sheeran's paintings were called 'giving all abstract art a bad name' by Jonathan Jones.
- Both Brody and Sheeran exhibited at Damien Hirst's Newport Street Gallery.
- Robbie Williams' 2025 exhibition 'Radical Honesty' featured iPad drawings he said took 20-25 minutes each.
- Sharon Stone received endorsement from critic Jerry Saltz; Brad Pitt earned praise from Jonathan Jones.
- Lena Dunham's watercolours were warmly received; she is the daughter of artists Laurie Simmons and Carol Dunham.
- Gary Grimes is a London-based writer whose work has appeared in British Vogue, Rolling Stone, and The Economist.
Entities
Artists
- Adrien Brody
- Ed Sheeran
- Jack White
- Robbie Williams
- Sharon Stone
- Brad Pitt
- Lucy Liu
- Lena Dunham
- Laurie Simmons
- Carol Dunham
- Damien Hirst
- Jeff Koons
- David Bowie
- James Franco
- Jim Carrey
- Sylvester Stallone
- Paul McCartney
- Johnny Depp
- Peter Howson
- Gary Grimes
- Jonathan Jones
- Jerry Saltz
- Eddy Frankel
- Brian Sewell
- Todd Graves
Institutions
- It's Nice That
- ARTnews
- The Guardian
- Artnet News
- The Sunday Times
- Newport Street Gallery
- Raising Cane's
- Castle Fine Art
- amfAR
- Art Basel Miami
- British Vogue
- Rolling Stone
- The Economist
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York
- United States
- Times Square