Entertainment

Chris Barker’s viral mash-ups of art and classic TV are going under the hammer – for auction, not destruction

Poke Staff. Updated March 10th, 2023

Every year, artist, illustrator and art director Chris Barker delivers an emotional punch in the gut with his Sgt Pepper-style tribute to the public figures who have died in the previous 12 months.

You’ll also have enjoyed his many very funny topical jokes throughout the rest of the year, but 2022 saw some of his tweets go wildly viral when he shared a thread of absolutely brilliant edits of famous artworks, tweaked to include classic TV references.

Here are a few reminders.

The thread was so popular that it led to a book, Brush Strokes: Fine art blended with light entertainment, a 2023 calendar and an exhibition at – appropriately enough – the Museum of Comedy in the undercroft of St George’s Church in Bloomsbury.

Live auction and drinks at the Museum of Comedy

As the exhibition draws to a close, fans and art-lovers alike are invited to a live event and auction at the museum at 7:00 pm on Thursday 16th March, with an appearance by the creative genius behind Fesshole, B3ta and Clickbait Robot – Rob Manuel – plus a drinks reception and bar from 6:00 pm.

The event is free, and although people are welcome to just turn up on the night, you can reserve a place by booking a ticket from the Museum of Comedy’s website.

“It started off as just a way to decorate the walls for a fancy dress birthday party”

Chris told The Poke –

“I’ve put on an exhibition by mistake.

It started off as just a way to decorate the walls for a fancy dress birthday party and it ended up with a book deal, a range of 2023 calendars, an exhibition and now a live auction.

As well as 13 exclusive hand-framed, signed prints available to bid for on the night (that are literally the only ones I have signed of these prints) there will be some cheaper options available – including the only Mr Noseybonk I will be signing, nightmare fuel-fans – and I will also sign books, calendars, anything you want really.”

In case you were wondering which lucky 13 images made the cut – it’s these.

1. Stupid Boy after Andy Warhol

2. Sorry! after David Hockney

3. The Two Renés after Magritte

4. Bod Composition 1 after Wassilly Kandinsky

5. The Roundabout of Magic Delights after Hieronymus Bosch

6. Self Portrait of Noel Edmonds after Vincent van Gogh

7. Are You Being Served At The Folies-Bergère after Édouard Manet

8. The Ooh Betty after Edvard Munch

9. Open All Hours after Edward Hopper

10. The Likely Lads after L.S. Lowry

11. Two Soups after Jack Vettriano

12. SAUSAGE! after Roy Lichtenstein

13. The Persistence of Fools and Horses after Salvador Dali

As a bonus – brace yourselves – there’s also Mr Noseybonk after Francis Bacon

Advance bidding on eBay

As well as joining in with the auction on the night, people are strongly encouraged to put in an early bid via eBay, where you can see how the pictures look in their frames.

If you can’t make it to the exhibition or the auction, you can always buy Chris a ‘coffee’, to show your appreciation.

We’ll leave the last word to him.

“Please come along to my event. Vincent Van Gogh was never appreciated in his lifetime. Maybe he should’ve thought about doing a portrait of Noel Edmonds eh?”

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Image Chris Barker