- Johnny Depp reveals a collection of four tarot-inspired
artworks referencing the ancient card deck
- The artworks will go on sale from 2pm BST/9am EDT 18 July
2024, exclusively at www.castlefineart.com and their
nationwide UK galleries
- The collection draws upon Depp's previous artwork, acting, and
deeply personal experiences in a uniquely symbolic style
- The four artworks, 'The Lovers', 'The Emperor', 'The Empress'
and 'Strength' can be appreciated individually or as a set
- Hear Johnny Depp discuss the story behind Tarot:
https://youtu.be/sMaSRqazS1o
LONDON, July 18,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnny
Depp, the acclaimed actor, musician, and artist, reveals his
new art collection, Tarot, a series limited to 195
editions, exclusively available from Castle Fine Art today.
Tarot includes four distinct works: 'The Lovers', 'The
Empress', 'The Emperor', and 'Strength'. These captivating figures
are inspired by Depp's life, dreams, and subconscious mind and are
portrayed in a unique symbolic style.
This latest release follows Depp's four acclaimed collections.
In 2022, Depp's debut worldwide release Friends & Heroes
I sold out in a matter of hours, Friends & Heroes II
and Five (2023) followed with the same iconic photographic
references. Last year, Depp started a new artistic direction
journey with The Bunnyman Genesis. An insight into powerful
self-expression, the series explored a night-time vision of a
benevolent creature, an inseparable friend and powerful
self-representation of Depp.
The new collection draws inspiration from the intriguing
iconography of tarot. 'The Emperor' and 'The
Empress' are both major arcana cards in traditional decks
and are depicted as crowned rulers in the artist's interpretation.
Similarly, 'The Lovers', typically depicted nude, are
dressed in elegant formal wear. Another unique interpretation is
seen in 'Strength', where the traditional lion is
replaced with an elephant, chosen for its symbolic qualities by the
artist.
A lover of the supernatural, Depp has long incorporated tarot
into his life. Depp has assimilated the age-old iconography for
this new series, taking the storied imagery of the cards as his
muse. As he's reflected, "I've always been tremendously curious
about tarot… and there's a great art to the cards". Across the
artworks, he conjures themes of parenthood, love, relationships,
and career.
Depp joins a tradition of artists who have played with tarot,
including Salvador Dalí, who spent a decade crafting his dreamlike
pack, and Mexican painter Leonora
Carrington, who populated her cards with mythological
creatures. Depp's four cards rework traditional designs and themes,
merging the artist's passion for symbolism, spirituality and
storytelling.
'The Lovers' is "the beginning of the story" and
conjures depictions of kindred spirits, with fluid colours
reflecting a balance between masculine and feminine, conscious and
subconscious. The cinematic scene, which evokes Hollywood glamour, allows for numerous
readings. Depp himself has said that the male figure who holds the
rose is warding off danger and "protecting" the female. The
work evokes an equilibrium beyond purely romantic love. Swept into
the hazy composition are themes of harmony, choice and
commitment.
Although an eyeless and mysterious figure, 'The Emperor'
is authoritative and powerful but "not necessarily to be
trusted". The character, styled as a 17th-century French
Monarch, was inspired by a work Depp created while filming
Jeanne du Barry in Versailles. A metaphor for acting out roles,
Depp says of 'The Emperor', "He's not really there.",
and seems to stand for the many guises that we all wear. 'The
Emperor' invites you to look beneath the cloak of power and
authority for the true sources of strength. Depp says "it kind
of represents ignorant power. I certainly wouldn't dare put my own
face as an emperor. Never. I made 'The Emperor' somewhat faceless
because if you put the Emperor next to the Empress who do you
trust?... The Empress"
'The Empress' pays tribute to Vanessa Paradis, the mother of Depp's two
children, and takes inspiration from a painting he did that was
used for the cover of Paradis' studio album 'Divinidylle'.
Of the tarnished crown adorned by 'The Empress', Depp says, "It
looks like a crown that has weathered storms. It shows a certain
courage and strength of commitment…. the Crown has been through a
lot; she still shines." Through this artwork, Depp has
paid tribute to Paradis, with whom he has remained "very
close". Seated in a stoic pose, she appears as the artist has
described her, "I know who she is inside. She's magnificent.
She's pragmatic. She's practical."
'Strength' is inspired by a large-scale painting Depp
created when expecting the birth of his first child with
Vanessa Paradis. The philosophical
question "Why do you want to fight with something that doesn't want
to fight with you?" is etched into the surface as if spoken by the
majestic elephant that gazes at the viewer. The elephant is
important to Depp, who says, "They don't live with any sort of
menace in their bone and protective their own to the bitter
end." The maternal instincts Depp saw in Paradis made him
explore ideas of inner strength when painting the original
elephant, stating that "a veil was lifted" when he became a
parent for the first time.
Depp hopes collectors will form their own meanings and
interpretations from the artworks, which can be read individually
or as a set of four. He says the artworks could "represent in a
way, a reading for me that I lived but also activating all the
characters that I've played throughout my life."
Ian Weatherby-Blythe, Managing Director of Castle Fine
Art, said: "This latest collection from Johnny Depp is perhaps his most revealing and
evocative. The four artworks are clearly deeply personal and
showcase Johnny's formidable skills as an artist."
Notes to editors:
Sale opens Thursday 18 July, 2pm
BST / 9am EDT exclusively
from Castle Fine Art nationwide UK galleries, partner gallery
Castle Contemporary 413 West Broadway, Soho, New York and worldwide,
www.castlefineart.com
High-res images and BTS imagery are available via this
Dropbox link
Images should be used in conjunction with the correct image
credit:
© Johnny Depp, Tarot 'The
Lovers', 'The Emperor', The Empress' and 'Strength' 2024. Image
courtesy of Castle Fine Art. Photographic credits of
Johnny Depp: Pantheon Art.
Listen to Johnny Depp share the
story behind the Tarot collection:
https://youtu.be/sMaSRqazS1o
Direct link to purchase:
https://www.castlefineart.com/uk/artists/johnny-depp/tarot
Edition Information:
Image size: 29'' x 46'', Framed Size: 34" x 50". Edition size:
195.
Medium: Silkscreen and Archival Pigment on 640gsm Waterford paper, with hand deckled edges and
24ct gold leaf. 'The Lovers' is also embellished with red marbled
leaf.
Each piece is individually hand signed by Johnny Depp.
Emboss stamped by hand with Johnny's mark of authenticity, The
Bunnyman.
Individual framed retail: £3,950/$4,500.
Set paper retail: £13,950/$14,500,
Set framed retail: £14,950/$15,950.
The non-framed set is presented in a portfolio, handmade using
the finest materials, hand-screened branding and logos to the
front and reverse in gold archival pigment. The interior is covered
in high-quality archival black paper with inserts to hold the
artworks securely and help protect the paper's deckled edges. The
interleaf, which protects the face of the artwork inside the folio,
is a 90gsm acid-free, PH-neutral semi-transparent paper.
Johnny Depp Artist Biography
For Johnny, art has been a constant outlet for his personal
creativity. With his sketchbook as a permanent fixture in this
hand, Depp is constantly sketching or visually conceptualising the
world around him. His mind rejects the ordinary, challenges the
accepted and oscillates between the pictural and the lyrical,
giving rise to his own multi-layered expressionistic style.
About Castle Fine Art
As the UK's leading group of retail art galleries, Castle Fine
Art has been at the heart of the contemporary art movement for
nearly 30 years. Specialising in original fine art, hand-signed
limited editions and sculptures, we unite collectors with artworks
from some of the most renowned figures in the art world.
Recent releases include work by Johnny
Depp, Bob Dylan, Billy
Connolly, Paul Kenton and
John Myatt in addition to renowned
British sculptor, Steve Winterburn.
Castle Fine Art also works with artist of miniatures, Nic Joly and Scarlett
Raven, whose textured landscape paintings have positioned
her as one of the most exciting female artists in the UK today.
We offer an exceptional collection of art for all, discover more
at our network of 38 galleries across the UK or worldwide at
castlefineart.com. Find us on social media @castlegalleries.
Castle Contemporary is the partner gallery to Castle
Fine Art. Located at 413 West Broadway, Soho, New York, Castle Contemporary opened in 2023
and brings a wide range of contemporary artists including work from
exclusive artists Bob Dylan and James
McQueen, as well as exclusive pieces from Johnny Depp.
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SOURCE Castle Fine Art