
[T]he Guy Hepner Gallery in NYC exhibits the best of the best, from Warhol to Keith Haring, Banksy and Koons. Their latest exhibition, A Loss of Innocence is brought to you is by Costa Rican artist John Paul Fauves and will be running for the month of March 2017. The solo show calls upon us to question hedonism and redemption and is curated by the Tax Collection, a multi-modal creative collective, aimed at revolutionizing the way popular culture interacts with our society.
Disney’s Mickey Mouse, an erstwhile vision of innocence, is used to explore the idea of corruption as Fauves merges Mickey with the faces of well-known complicated icons such including James Dean and Marilyn Monroe as the artist presents his disturbing take on pop and celebrity culture. Find out more from the artist himself below.
Sum up your artistic style...

Which artists have shaped your career?
Jean M. Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Willem de Kooning, Henri Matisse, Vincent Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso have all shaped my career.

What is the concept of the show?
This collection talks about the loss of innocence in humanity. Mickey, as world iconic figure represents that, and I turn him more into a hedonist Mickey, it looks for pleasure no matter the consequence. I have lived my life through several experiences and come to realise that excess will never fulfill you. I question that in this collection, even using several known figures like Jim Morrison, James Dean and Marylin Monroe symbolizing this innocence lost, as it ended in death.
In 2016 I created some masks, as a representation of this hedonism. I travelled to London last October and wore the masks around the city, only to realize that my personality changed when I had it on. This made me realize I still had layers of fears from my past that were obstacles to my true self.
Thanks to this experience I’m bringing 350 masks to the NYC show with the objective of creating a new introspective atmosphere. I want people to look within themselves and not outside as we always do. No judging and no fears of how to act, no labeling of others and leveling every one of us to the same premise that we are all one and equal.

Which is your favourite piece and why?
I believe that each art piece is a snap picture of the soul of the artist in that moment. So I’m very proud of all my art, since to me, it is like looking at an old picture album of my life experiences. In this case, when I see my art, I see my soul experiences and how they all contribute to my universal growth in my life purpose. So they are all my favorite.
What is next for you?
A Loss of Innocence runs from 2nd March at Guy Hepner Gallery, NYC. Follow John Paul Fauves here.

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