Bootlegs
My “Bootleg” series consists of small reproductions of artworks by more than 100 different contemporary artists. The series includes paintings, sculpture, photographs, drawings, collage, and video. Most of the paintings are created using a combination of collage and acrylic paint. This allows me to reproduce them quickly while maintaining the look of a hand-painted picture. The works are produced in small batches (generally 6-10 at a time) and are created in open editions.
I started the project in 2001, setting up a small stand on 24th St. in New York's Chelsea gallery district. Like a sidewalk vendor of counterfeit handbags, I sold my Bootlegs at prices far below those charged by the "legitimate" dealers nearby. Eventually, I began to travel and sell my Bootlegs outside the major international art fairs. In the early years, these installations/performances/sales were usually guerrilla, but eventually galleries (and sometimes the art fairs, themselves) began inviting me to exhibit my works.
I now mainly show my Bootlegs in art galleries rather than on the sidewalk. Recent exhibitions include The Brode (2020, Los Angeles - inspired by works in the collection of Edythe and Eli Broad), and Christy’s (2019, New York - based on works being sold concurrently at Christie’s auction house). My Bootlegs have been exhibited in museums and institutions including MoMA/PS1, The Whitney Museum, La Musee d’Art Moderne de Paris, MUSAC (Leon, Spain), and Centre' d'Art Santa Monica (Barcelona).
