A sculpture by Birmingham based artist Edgar Askelovic was unveiled yesterday to celebrate the Pop Artist’s 83 birthday. The Midlands artist spent three months working on the piece, which is currently on display at the McDermott Galleries in Birmingham. Askelovic is a creative designer from Lithuania, who is gaining a reputation for his extraordinary sculptures. His works are inspired by the different tensions which abound as well as cultural figures such as Andy Warhol and Leonardo Da Vinci.
“I thought long and hard about what he might look like today, which led me to sculpt him without his teeth and with the wrinkles that reflect the years that have now passed. Although maybe there should also be a botox version – after all, he was a pioneer of all things new”
“I remember reading about Andy’s humble beginnings – his first film, titled Sleep, was an epic 6 hours long and all about one of his friends sleeping. 9 people attended the premiere apparently and only 7 stayed until the end – he was a true creative.” I also love this quote from Andy, it sort of sums up how I try to approach my own work:
“An artist is someone who produces things that people don’t need to have but that he – for some reason – thinks it would be a good idea to give them.”
Gallery owner Terence McDermott said: “The idea is that on Saturday if he was still alive he would have been 83-years-old so what Edgar has done is to use some artistic license to create his own interpretation of Warhol as an 83 year old. This wig is just as he would have worn it – a simple substitute for a cap.”
“It’s tragic to think about the life, art and advances Warhol missed out on. I wonder what he would have done with the internet, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube…reality TV?! Maybe there would even be a Warhol App?
“The thought of Andy Warhol in the digital age is mind blowing. The world was always one step behind him and it’s such a shame he is not here with us.”
The piece is fittingly titled ‘Andy Walking, Andy tired, Andy take a little snooze’ – the lyrics from the David Bowie song Andy Warhol.
The Lithuanian, self-taught artist dedicated his time to the piece, working on it for a 3 month period and most days until 4am.
“I thought long and hard about what he might look like today,” Askelovic said.
“The pose of the piece is taken from a photograph of Warhol in the 60s. He is a huge inspiration to me and I wanted to make sure that I did him justice with my work,” the artist said.
The sculpture shows Warhol with deep wrinkles and without his teeth which “reflect the years that have passed”, Askelovic said.
The renowned pop artist, filmmaker and music producer died in 1987, aged 58, following surgery on his gallbladder.
Gallery owner Terence McDermott said: “The idea is that on Saturday, if he was still alive, he would have been 83-years-old, so what Edgar has done is to use some artistic.