"EDIE" | 18" x 12" | Acrylic on Canvas | Artist Jeremy Penn

The word Muse or Muses originates from Greek Mythology. The Muses were goddesses of knowledge that inspire the creation of the arts.

There are many famous muses throughout art history. Picasso had Dora Maar, Roger Vadim (and Jeremy Penn) had Brigitte Bardot, Jeff Koons had Ilona Staller, David LaChapelle has Amanda Lepore, and Andy Warhol had Edie Sedgwick.

Andy Warhol has had a big influence on my work. I don’t believe Andy ever had a chance to fully understand the power of his art and there is a part of that is inspired by its evolution over time.

Behind some of Warhol’s most interesting work was a girl named Edie Sedgwick, his muse.

Who was this misunderstood goddess of inspiration?

I dove into her life story in an attempt to understand someone who was tragically misunderstood.

About Edie

Edie Sedgwick was born into a family of great wealth and history. Despite the impressive lineage, Edie’s immediate family had their fair share of issue and suffered some horrific tragedies.

Edie herself suffered anorexia and bulimia from her very early teens. Her relationship with her narcissistic father had a lot to do with shaping her psychology.

In 1965, Edie met artist Andy Warhol and they formed a muse-to-artist relationship that will be one of the most iconic in history.

Warhol used Edie Sedgwick in films like Space, Vinyl, Horse, Kitchen, Poor Little Rich Girl, and more.

People often say that her relationship with Warhol drove her into a life of drugs and manic behavior. The truth is, Edie entered the relationship with most of these issues.

It is said that Andy used Edie for her social status. Andy loved the celebrity lifestyle and Edie was able to open up a lot of doors for him.

Edie and Andy’s relationship dissolved after a year and she began getting close to Bob Dylan. It is rumored that Edie was carrying Dylan’s child but had an abortion.

During that time, Edie formed a relationship with Dylan’s best friend Bob Neuwirth. She became increasingly dependent on barbiturates and her manic behavior led to the end their relationship.

In 1971, Edie died from an accident/suicide of prescription barbiturates.

Jeremy Penn, an artist known for breathing life back into certain time periods through his artwork, has continuously found inspiration in popular French culture of the 1960’s.

His first painted Brigitte Bardot back in 2010. The painting titled “Animal Instinct,” was inspired by Bardot’s tipping point as a sexual goddess.

Penn says, “After watching a marathon of Bardot films, I experienced her evolving from a vulnerable girl with innocent sexual overtones to the confident woman who owned her sexuality. The kind of woman who can steal your breath with her gaze.”

The power of seduction through eye contact is the constant tone found within his works. He often speaks of a power play between his subjects and the viewer and how he likes to play on the natural response of submissiveness and dominance.

Penn has gone on to paint other French Icon’s like Serge Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin, Catherine Deneuve, and Emmauelle Béart. He plans on finishing 3 more portraits before bringing his exhibit overseas to Paris. The venue is still to be determined.

For his latest 2 paintings, Penn sourced imagery from an illustration found on one of Bardot’s old movie posters.

“This little illustration of Brigitte Bardot was so strong but was completely overshadowed by photography and 4-color jobs. So, I stole it, reworked it, and I am releasing it back into the world,” said Penn.

View video of Jeremy Penn painting Hot Lips Part 2  below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

EYES ARE THE WINDOW OF THE SOUL

There are only a few artists who can paint a face, and when looking into the eyes of the portrait you feel an instant connection to the person. We here at Koo are extremely lucky to have one of these talented people on our site! New York artist, Jeremy Penn has the ability to paint faces and show so much emotion behind their eyes.

“24KKM” is unique in that it is dusted in real 24K Gold! His blog descirbes why he desided on using gold to finiah the portrait,’ “Kate Moss has evolved into something more than just a supermodel. She is royalty. No color pigment can represent Kate Moss in the way in which she deserves. Real gold is the only choice,” said Penn of his use of 24-karat gold.

Penn was born in 1979 in New York and studied Fine Art at both the University of Maryland and Pratt Institute. Since college he has been making a name for himself by painting. He has shown his work in some amazing places. We met up with him while we were at Art Basel Miami Beach, where he showed Le Réve Classique and 24KKM.

This past year Penn has been working on some very interesting projects. One being his William Murphy Series. William Murphy was inmate 23826. His 1914 mug shot landed in Penn’s hands and the rest is history.

Penn saw something in William Murphy’s eyes that drew him in and he needed to know more. He started researching and found two different William Murphy’s one died in a knife fight, the other a war hero. Which William Murphy had he been so entranced by?

On his journey to learn more about William Murphy he discovered so much but one thing stands out. “If there was one thing I learned, it was that this project was going to evolve and that the judgment of William Murphy is not mine. It’s in the eye of the beholder.”, Penn said on his site dedicated to his William Murphy experience.

Penn explains more about what he discovered on his blog. If you’d like to read the rest of William Murphy’s story go to http://www.thedeceptionofwilliammurphy.com/the-story/.

Penn has let us look into the eyes of celebrities and convicts and in his paintings we see something deeper than just a face. We see the emotion and sadness behind their eyes. With out artists like him we would forget that the people in his paintings were real people with real emotions and were once or still are very much alive, and for that we thank him.

If you would like to see more or Jeremy Penn’s work visit http://www.jeremypenn.com/  . If you are interested in purchasing one of Mr. Penn’s creations, please log in and our white glove service will be more than happy to assist you in the purchasing process.

You can view this article on the Koo de Monde website.

Jeremy Penn plans to exhibit his artwork with Koo de Monde at the Architectural Digest show in New York City this March.

Penn has already completed portraits of the following French Icons:

Serge Gainsbourg | Brigitte Bardot | Jane Birkin | Catherine Deneuve

The latest portrait of Emmanuelle Béart is still untitled. Check out the painting process video below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

"A Collective Fate"

1 year into working on his William Murphy art series, fine artist Jeremy Penn noticed something very strange about Murphy’s eyes. Murphy had a condition that the Japanese called Sanpaku eyes. Sanpaku means the three whites in Japanese (san=3 paku=white) and refers to the iris being rather small, so that it can only cover about two-thirds or less of the vertical of the eye; imagining an eye as divided into four portions, the iris only ‘colours’ one portion, thus leaving the other three in white, hence “three whites”.

The Japanese believed that someone with sanpaku eyes was imbalanced and destined to have a tragic end to their life. When you die, your eyes roll upward revealing the white underneath the iris. People who are Sanpaku look sluggish or “stoned”.

Things began getting very stranged when Penn began studying the tragic deaths of people in the public eye. He learned that some of the most important people who died young were all Sanpaku.

John Lennon, a sanpaku, actually wrote a song called “Aisumasen (I’m Sorry)” where he actually referred to himself as being sanpaku.

Is fate real?

Other notable people who were sanpaku: Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Natalie Wood, Brittany Murphy, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, Elvis Presley, Sharon Tate, Heath Ledger, Syd Barrett, Steve Jobs and more.

Penn says, “Sanpaku was one of many twists and turns that occurred in the two years of working on the William Murphy series. Did William Murphy die young? If so, how? Just wait and see!”

Penn’s painting “A Collective Fate” explores the possibility of fate by linking these people together by one physical characteristic. A characteristic that is believed by some to be a sign of danger.

Look at yourself in the mirror. Are you Sanpaku?

Jonathan Meese "Revolution"

Next up was the Scope Art Fair. Both Scope and Pulse had an entirely different feel to them. The work at Scope was by far the most cutting edge. This is probably the reason for it being my favorite of all the art shows. There is a certain energy behind the work of rising artists & galleries who are soaring in the art world.
Below is a piece exhibited by Like the Spice Gallery. Along with the Yarmosky piece below, they exhibited some beautiful pieces by Jenny Morgan.

"Five_0" By Jason Bard Yarmosky

One of the most impressive booths at Scope was the one occupied by the Dorian Grey Gallery. The curators at Dorian Grey put together a space that brought you back to NYC in the 1980′s. Haring’s and Hambleton’s lined the walls of this aesthetic tribute to the birth of street art.

Richard Hambleton

Pulse, which was held the Ice Palace Studios in Miami, was another great show. The venue was the perfect compliment to the amazing artwork. Of course, my favorite part of the show was the Kate Moss photographs exhibited by the Danziger Gallery.

Below are some more great images from the Pulse show.

The final stop on my tour was the Rubell Museum. The Rubell put together an amazing exhibit called “American Exuberance”. The curators at the Rubell did an excellent job at creating an environment that was full of raw sexual overtones and stunning imagery.
Below are images from the Rubell Collection.

Now for a recap of my show being held at the Miami Art Space. The show was titled “Elements” which seemed to be a fitting theme since there was a great use of natural elements in the work exhibited.

When the curators of Elements heard I was attending Art Basel, they asked me if I would bring some of my work down to exhibit in their show. The request came 12 hours before my flight left JFK Airport for Miami. Trying to avoid missing the opportunity to exhibit at the Miami Art Space during Art Basel, I ran to my studio and grabbed two of the closest pieces to the door. I brought down both “Le Réve Classique”, a portrait of Twiggy and “24KKM”, a portrait of Kate Moss in 24 karat gold.

"24KKM" & "Le Réve Classique"

The show was a tremendous success. Below are images from the event.

I am now back on the ground in NYC. It already feels good to be home. As an artist, my batteries are recharged and I am ready to head to the studio. The next few weeks will be big. I will be finishing the website dedicated entirely to the William Murphy series.

The best is yet to come.

Much Love,

Jeremy

Le Reve Classique

Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011—Private Cocktail Reception Vernissage – 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.: Featuring an exhibit by headlining artist Henrique Souza, works by Francisco Chediak, Cecilia Moreno-Yaghoubi, Dennis Carbee, Alvaro Daza, Pedro Diaz, “Copper Mike” and a custom display from Vertical River and an evening curated by Adriana de Moura. In addition, ELEMENTS will feature a special presentation by Jeremy Penn, Deborah Putnoi and works by Henning Haupt and Joseph Zwick. Specialty cocktails courtesy of Syltbar, sweet treats by Cioccolada, a VIP lounge created by Blooming Design and luxury gift bags by Elemis Spa.

Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011 – 8 p.m.: An evening of cocktails by Yaya and Bodegas Norton courtesy of Vintage Liquors. Fashion show starting at 9 p.m. featuring the 2011 Holiday collection by Jamaican design sensation Tanya-Marie. Hair and makeup provided by Gabriel Productions.

Friday, Dec. 2, 2011 – 4 p.m.: A street artist competition where emerging talent will compete for the chance to obtain the last showcasing artist spot at “Elements” for Art Basel. Competition sponsored in part by Ace Hardware, South Beach who generously donated the materials for the young artists to create.

Friday, Dec. 2, 2011 – 9 p.m. to 12 a.m.: “Brazilian Showcase,” a Brazilian-themed cocktail party with music by celebrated Latin DJ Golfus and famed DJ Lina Bradford and complimentary caipirinhas provided by LeBlon Cachaça and light bites by chef Sergio Silva.

Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011 – 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.: A night of performance artists that will include music by international music sensation Caroline Hope from her latest album, a collection of jazz and musical compilations and the performance art of Bill Spring, featuring his one-person spoken narrative/movement piece titled “The Prehistoric Zipcode of Water”. The evening will also feature a culinary presentation by local chefs Adrienne Calvo and Chef Maurice with a complimentary bar provided by Russian Standard as well as cocktails by Yaya, Bodegas Norton, Vintage Liquors and VOSS Water. Ongoing raffle ticket sales benefiting the Frederick P. Drew Foundation.

Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011: VIP cocktail hour from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to honor the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Community with music by world-renowned DJ Lina Bradford closing out the show with soulful house beats.

MAS hours of operation: 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. and is located at 244 NW 35th Street, Miami, FL 33127
For more info. Please visit www.miamiartspace.com

Jeremy Penn’s artwork will be on display throughout Art Basel at MAS.

Many of my favorite galleries will be exhibiting in Miami. To name a few:
Cheim & Read
Zach Feuer
Alexander Gray Associates
Marc Jancou
Casey Kaplan
David Kordansky Gallery
Mallick Williams
Muriel Guepin Gallery
Keyes Art Consulting
Sloan Fine Art
Rena Bransten
Benrimon Contemporary
Lyons Wier
Marx & Zavaterro

Follow me on Twitter to get live Basel updates.

If you don’t mind painting the entire surface white first, then I highly recommend Sherwin-Williams Adhesion Primer. It is an incredible product.

If you want to keep the background of your substrate natural in appearence, then let me introduce you to Golden’s GAC-200. GAC-200 is a specialty primer that increases adhesion and film hardness. I recommend adding 30%-50% GAC-200 to your acrylic paint.

The best paint for non-porous surfaces will always be enamel but with the proper steps, you can begin to use other painting mediums with great success.

EFFEN selected one local NYC Artist and one local NYC Fashion Designer to make creations inspired by their new cucumber flavored vodka. Artist Jeremy Penn and Fashion Designer Kimbo Mesches were selected to be featured at the Art of Design.

They asked Penn to come with a painting 95% done and then finish the rest during the event. Kimbo came with a custom designed gown that was accented with Swarovski crystals. Aside from the incredible cocktails created by NYC’s top mixologists, Penn & Kimbo were the stars of the night.

Fellow artist’s Borbay and Paul Zepeda came out to support Penn as he painted throughout the evening.

The line to get in was around the block. The Art of Design event at Greenhouse was definitely the place to be on Thursday night in New York City.