Mr Doodle invades Sotheby's

Mr Doodle invades Sotheby's

Written by Katy Cowan  17.12.2019

Mr Doodle invades Sotheby's with his own take on world-famous paintings in the form of doodles

There's still time to catch Mr Doodle's show at Sotheby's in Hong Kong where the famous doodling artist has reinterpreted some of the world's most famous and iconic paintings in his own style.

Mr Doodle Invades Sotheby’s is a solo exhibition of works by the 25-year-old British artist Sam Cox with some pieces recreated in very abstract ways and some in a very clear reference to the original.

"Critics often describe my doodles as 'not art'. In response to this, I thought what better surface to invade than Sotheby's, one of the most prestigious fine art auction houses in the world who sold some of the most renowned artworks in history?" Sam tells Creative Boom.

"Therefore, I decided to invade their gallery with my doodles, twisting and morphing these iconic pieces and transforming them into part of DoodleWorld. This series was really fun to make, and I hope this exhibition allows the audience to see the art world through my own eyes – something to have fun with and something to laugh at."

Often described as 'Graffiti Spaghetti', Mr Doodle's work is formed with groups of characters, patterns, and objects. He explains his work as "Obsessive Compulsive Drawing", putting a twist on conventional graffiti style and using his pen to fill every possible space on the canvas. He can improvise anywhere, with any objects being his canvas, including furniture, books, subways, clothing and more.

"I want people to see doodles as a form of art in their own right," adds Sam. "For years people have disregarded doodles as just nonsensical throwaway pieces but in truth, I think they symbolise the most instinctive and primal way of expression."

Now it's up to you to guess which of his doodles represent which classic painting. We'll give you a clue: Leonardo da Vinci, Gustav Klimt, Mark Rothko, Hokusai and Edvard Munch all feature.

Originally from Kent, Mr Doodle began his career covering his bedroom with paper doodles at the age of nine. After studying art at the University of West England in Bristol, he started to gain recognition through various mural and collaboration projects – the Tunnel Takeover project in London is one of them. In 2017, Mr Doodle made a massive viral hit with a video clip of himself working at a pop-up store, garnering 36 million views. Discover more at mrdoodle.com.

Mr Doodle, Mona Doodle, 2019

Mr Doodle, Mona Doodle, 2019

Mr Doodle, Doodle Kiss, 2019

Mr Doodle, Doodle Kiss, 2019

Mr Doodle, Vitruvian Doodle, 2019

Mr Doodle, Vitruvian Doodle, 2019

Mr Doodle, The Doodle Wave, 2019

Mr Doodle, The Doodle Wave, 2019

Mr Doodle, Doodle 1 (Royal Red & Blue)

Mr Doodle, Doodle 1 (Royal Red & Blue)

Mr Doodle, Nu Doodle, 2019

Mr Doodle, Nu Doodle, 2019

Mr Doodle in front of his works © 2019 Mr Doodle All rights reserved

Mr Doodle in front of his works © 2019 Mr Doodle All rights reserved

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