The good, the bad and the simply ‘tone deaf’: a roll call of celebrity art – The Art Newspaper

We were delighted to hear that yet another top-notch celebrity—pop superstar Ed Sheeran—has joined the ever-expanding roster of big names hoping to impress with their art efforts.

The flame-haired musician has been painting since 2019 and is now offering his Cosmic Carpark Paintings at £900 each. Half of the sale price proceeds will go towards his foundation, which is dedicated to supporting music education in UK state schools.

Think one of Ed’s not-very-much-like Pollock works could make you happier? Check them out at at HENI Gallery, London from 11 July to 1 August.

And, in the meantime, we’ve been inspired to cast an eye over other notable “celeb” artists. Here’s our roll call of the—mainly male—stars keen to make their mark in the art world.

Robbie Williams’s show at Moco Museum in London (until 31 August) is causing a stir—and for all the wrong reasons. The Take That star’s works reflect “his visual language of sarcasm, self-deprecation, and playful irreverence”, says the gallery. Critic Eddy Frankel is, however, not entertained by Rob’s efforts, writing in the Guardian that the new sculptures and paintings are “tone deaf and self-important”.

To say that film star Adrien Brody’s art divides art world commentators is an understatement. Last month the Oscar-winning star of The Brutalist showed his newest mixed-media works at Eden Gallery in New York. While the The New York Times at least said he is an “impassioned painter”, one particularly harsh contributor on social media wrote: “Jesus, that’s bad….” Brutal indeed.

Lucy Liu, known for her roles in Ally McBeal and Charlie’s Angels, also has a sideline as a successful artist, or as Pink News put it: “What most of the internet didn’t know was that she creates erotic lesbian art”. Lucy reveals the full range of her practice on her comprehensive website, presenting her latest sculptural creations in wood and bronze, plus a series of silkscreens entitled I Had My Heart Set On You.

When it comes to the fabled musician and poet Bob Dylan, it seems the times are not a-changin’. Having produced canvas after canvas after canvas over the years, the 84-year-old artist shows no signs of putting his paintbrush down. His latest attempts at art were recently displayed at Halcyon Gallery in London, depicting profound but pithy subjects such as Zurich (Strange Weather), Piano Player and Beans for Breakfast.

The actor Johnny Depp is a headline-hitting legend in the film industry—and, to say the least, a controversial figure—but his art endeavours have also fuelled a booming industry. Castle Fine Art, which represents the Edward Scissorhands star, says that “the artist’s fluent, expressive style is in the vein of the artists we recognise as Neo-Expressionists”. His latest arty venture is as director of the film Modigliani-Three Days on the Wing of Madness.

Other VVIPS that have taken up the brush—with varying results—include the actor and comedian Jim Carrey, James Bond star Pierce Brosnan, Ronnie Wood of Rolling Stones fame and the rapper Skepta.