Christopher Wool: Pop Idol
Artist Christopher Wool is best known for his paintings of large, black, stencilled letters and words on white canvases. Wool began to create word paintings in the late 1980s, reportedly after having seen graffiti on a brand new white truck. Using a system of alliteration, with the words often broken up by a grid system, or with the vowels removed (as in ‘TRBL’ above), Wool’s paintings often demand reading aloud to make sense.
I have been an admirer of his bold and graphic work for many years and can only dream of owning an original. In 2012, Untitled, a painting bearing the broken word 'FOOL', sold for £4.9 million, and in 2013, Apocalypse Now (top image) sold for over £17 million. With that said, I guess the inspiration and pleasure I continue to get from his exciting work is just as valuable.