The Man Behind the Mask Said Yes
I was absolutely over the moon this afternoon. The man who was going to unveil the mysterious Artist known as Banksy approves of my Go Fund Me Campaign to buy one of this paintings.
When he heard about it he sent over a copy of his Bio for me to use which is just amazing. I want to purchase his painting to raise money for Artistic_UK an organisation which supports up and coming Artists. You can donate to the campaign here: https://www.gofundme.com/upcoming-artists-amp-the-haunting-eye
And whether you can donate £1 $1 or several hundred, every single penny counts and is much appreciated.
You can find out more about Artistic_UK the organisation I’m raising money for in my interview with one of the Founders Colin Sugden:
How Did I Get Myself Into This?
I ran a free Unleash Your Creativity Workshop for Artistic_UK yesterday and as I spoke to the artists and realised the huge endeavour it is not just to put on a show but fund the art that goes into it I wanted to help. There also happened to be a painting I fell in love with and the Gallery owner suggested I do crowdfunding campaign to buy the oil painting because the proceeds would go towards funding the Gallery space and help support the Artists.
I’ve never funded anything in this way before however as it was an idea born directly as a result of the Workshop I was running it would be remiss of me not to take my own advice and push the creative boundaries so today I set one up.
I’ll be honest and tell you it was/is kind of scary, like hosting your first party and waiting anxiously to see if anyone is going to turn up.
The Mental Equation
I found myself doing an equation in my head; I’ve got 4,820 Facebook friends (not counting the 995 pending friend requests). I’ve also got 2,151 Facebook followers. If each of them donated a £, $, €, ¥ I would meet the minimum target of £4,500 in no time, and if people could donate more we could implement Phase 2 of the investment plan. Of course I had a rude awakening and realised it wasn’t quite so straightforward and that not everyone would part with £1 when asked.
Who Is Mason Storm?
Below is an extract from Mason’s Bio which makes for fascinating reading, and confirming the man behind the make is as mysterious as he looks . . . . . .
Mason was born in London and has been a native there for around 40 years. He never attended a ‘normal’ art college (which I find very had to believe given the beauty in intricacy of his work). His artistic education began when he was around 12 when he wandered into an art class his friend was doing after his Judo class was cancelled. He continued wandering in and out every night for about 15 years.
The teachers there at the time were students supplementing the grants by working at the centre while creating their own pieces. They went on to become leading lights in the UK contemporary art world having graduated from The Royal College of Arts, The Royal College of Arts and Central St Martins.
Unveiling Banksy
Mason is probably best known for his mask. It has became his trademark, hiding his identity whilst creating a mystique which helps with promotion and publicity. He began wearing it when in 2010 he said he was going to reveal the face of the artist Banksy in an oil painting. The supposed unveiling of Banksy courted a lot of negative publicity and the occasional death threat. Nothing he hasn’t encountered many times in his previous life when he began a career much removed from the world of art which included working as a Freelance Security Contractor, Security Consultant, Freelance Intelligence Analyst, Journalist specialising in Intelligence/Espionage/Terrorism, and a Law Graduate and Barrister. Art has always remained his passion and he returned to it after creating a sculpture for a show.
Masons work has been considered controversial and provocative, however he never tries to be controversial in his subject matter just for the sake of it, there is always an underlying reason for the work he produces.
The Eyes Have It
It was the provocative nature of the eyes in the painting that first grabbed me. I didn’t know the subject and had never seen him before yet I was intrigued from the second it was pulled from under a shelf and laid before me. And what I love about how this has unfolded in the 24 hours since I laid eyes on it is the fact we have identified ways that I can can keep creating income for artists once I own the painting, over and above the first donation back to Artistic_UK.
Can You Help Me?
When I was looking at the blank spaces on the Go Fund Me website last night I heard the words of a song: “I don’t care how you get here, just get here if you can.”
I feel the same about this crowdfunding campaign. I mind if you donate £1 or $1000 dollars, just do what you can. And if you can’t donate anything my request is to share the Go Fund Me link: https://www.gofundme.com/upcoming-artists-amp-the-haunting-eye or this Blog with your contacts and on your social media platforms.
And if you work with organisations who love the arts or have friends who are curators of creativity with deep pockets please ask them to donate.
For those who have donated we can have a day at the Gallery this month. There is also the possibility, however I need to confirm nearer the time because of the secretive and elusive nature of the man in question, of a meet and greet with Mason Storm at the wrap party which I will invite the donors to.
The Man Behind the Eyes
The man in the painting died almost a year ago today. I knew nothing about him when I first viewed the canvas however I made up a narrative about what I thought he was like. Yesterday afternoon I said to one of the attendees at my Workshop:
“I think he was the type of man that when he walked into a room people noticed. If he walked into this warehouse we would all stop and turn, feeling his presence. He was charismatic and attractive to both men and women who found him intriguing . . . . “
This morning I read on of the press released about his death. It said:
“The man, the legend, devoted his life to giving. His energy, his love, his kindness and his divine eccentricity shone it’s light on everyone . . . If you felt small, broke and bitter there was a man in Soho who put you right.”
I would say it was a pretty good random guess on my part. I also found out today that we both started life in Kennington South London.
The Love of Leopard Print . . . .
I will also admit that I trebly love the painting because of our interesting use and application of leopard print! Just like the painting I fell in love with this sofa at first sight and it was meant to be . . . .
Please Donate What You Can
I apologise in advance however I now have to pull out the cat.
It’s the picture a friend always uses on me when she wants to persuade me to do something for her. It’s a low blow I know however I so want to donate to this course and put the future plans for the painting into action. Ideally I want to raise £1000 by close of play on 7th August to put a deposit down on the painting so we can mark it as ‘Sold’ and raise in excess of £5000 by the end of this week.
Maybe big numbers for one person however going back to my mental calculations, which didn’t factor in my eNewsletter list and other social media platforms I figured it would be a piece of cake. Good cake is often shared so let’s go! https://www.gofundme.com/upcoming-artists-amp-the-haunting-eye
And talking of cake, I’ll definitely bring a celebratory one to the wrap party when I collect this magnificent piece which has been waiting for the right home for several years.
Thank you.
Marilyn Devonish ♥
The NeuroSuccess™ Coach