D'STASSI EDITIONS: SCHOONY
British artist Schoony is emerging as one of the leading talents in contemporary sculpture. New York’s acclaimed Guy Hepner gallery has supported the Londoner, with his work appearing in publications such as The Times, The Independent and ArtNet News. Born in North London in 1974, he spent much of his life working within the film industry; turning his hand to special effects and makeup on some of cinema’s biggest blockbusters. These include movies such as Troy, Harry Potter, Gladiator and Kick-Ass 2. Schoony’s close connection to the silver screen has earned him some high profile fans; Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie count themselves as lovers of his work, as does Benedict Cumberbatch.
His most famous work is ‘Boy Soldier’, a realistic moulding of a child holding a hand grenade. Schoony used his nephew to create the piece, capturing impressive detail and emotion. It explores how Western culture is detached from the notion of war, juxtaposing the child’s innocence with the barbarity of battle. As Schoony noted;
SCHOONY:
"My nephew is aged seven in this art piece; the age of some of our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq as they would have been 10 years ago. It is a future I do not want for my nephew.”
In 2011, the work was displayed outside the Houses of Parliament in London as part of a peace campaign. ‘Boy Soldier’ also featured in the 2013 short-film Little Favour, where he met Cumberbatch; the star then asked Schoony to create a wall panel version for his home.
D'Stassi Art hosted an event in partnership with New York-based Contra Galleries, which saw Schoony’s ‘Boy Soldier’ being painted on live by street art legend Al Diaz.
The first generation graffiti artist added his infamous SAMO© tag and signature WET PAINT elements; this resulted in a unique, one of one work. Now, Schoony has partnered with Distassi Art to create three runs of exclusive prints. ‘Boots’, ‘Girl Bruiser’ and ‘Reflector’ are limited to only ten prints each, with one artist’s proof per work. They are bold, with Schoony’s signature blend of powerful imagery and attention to detail.
The incredible editions can be purchased at an accessible price point of £180, and are only available through Distassi Art’s Spotlight store
The D'Stassi Art team.