Kate Moss At 40: Retrospective By Artist Russell Marshall Announced

Kate Moss

Kate Moss has been one of the most photographed, enigmatic icons of our time, to Celebrate Beautiful Crime and Imitate Modern are presenting a retrospective of Kate Moss by artist Russell Marshall. The show will coincide with the model’s 40th birthday on 16th January 2014 and depicts Kate Moss’s enduring appeal as one of the world’s biggest fashion icons. Through his work for this show, Marshall takes us on a journey of ‘Kate Moss culture’ spanning the last 25 years, by which we as an audience have all been heavily captivated.

An artist who has also for many years, worked in the newspaper industry, Marshall has selected 10 unique and instantly recognisable images of Kate Moss which mark her sensational journey from a young model aged 14 to the world famous beauty of the present day. From these images, Russell has created ten canvases in one of ten colour ways to create a stunning visual storybook of Kate Moss’s career. Each image will be available in each of the ten colour ways with up to 100 combinations possible. Thus each artwork is a unique original, stamped and signed by the artist.

The show also aims to meld art with Russell’s journalistic heritage and to tell the Kate Moss story as a narrative, not only using visual images but also words. Offering insight in to the perspective of a rarely interviewed icon, Kate Moss has become as famous for her silence as she has for her appearance. A selection of Kate Moss quotations will appear as vinyls and adhered to the walls of Imitate Modern to allude to the press’s ongoing enigmatic relationship with her, whilst inspiring conversation about celebrity culture – and Kate Moss-mania.

“I was lucky to be with Johnny at that stage. He taught me a lot about fame. He told me ‘never complain, never explain’ ”.

All the quotations will be included in a mini biography of Kate Moss, which will accompany the artworks at the show. The biography will tell the Kate Moss story and punctuate the artworks. Other works available include 2 two-metre high canvases as an eye-catching centre piece as well as an edition of stainless steel acid photo etched images.

Russell’s work has become synonymous with using stars of yesteryear in his work rather than featuring contemporary figures. His motivation to feature people in his works who are ‘legendary’ rather than just ‘famous’ has led to this celebratory exhibition of Kate Moss. Having worked in the British tabloid industry, the themes of and methods for producing his work reflect as such. The works mirror the process by which printing plates first enabled newspapers to feature images and turn a technique designed to mass-produce art, into the artwork itself.

Celebrity can be short-lived these days” says Marshall, “but not so with Kate. While other celebs have come and gone… Kate has stayed. Kate’s not just a survivor and she’s not hanging on to fame. She grows bigger, brighter and more iconic each year.”

Kate Moss has successfully bridged the gap between the untouchable Hollywood legends of yesteryear and the modern celebrity of today. Model, mum, wife, rock chick, designer, cover girl, trend maker, playgirl – she simply takes on these roles with effortless cool. A megastar she may be, but we also know she’s a real wom- an living the dream and she’s doing just what we all would… If we were Kate Moss.

Imitate Modern Gallery and Beautiful Crime present “40” A retrospective of Kate Moss by artist Russell Marshall 17th January-15th February 2014 27a Devonshire Street, London, W1G 6PN

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