Grimes aka Claire Boucher is best known for her music, and for also being baby mama to a certain Elon Musk, but did you know she has some serious art world credentials too? Want to know how? Read on!
The Albums
Let’s state the obvious in the title to one of her most critically acclaimed albums: ART Angels. Grimes was alos behind the concept and art direction for the corresponding music videos to tracks Butterfly, World Princess Part II, Scream and Belly of the Beat, working alongside collaborator Hana Pestle.
Also, check the album artwork, Grimes penned it herself. The horror-manga aesthetic is typical Grimes, turning the “cute” on its head. And, according to her Wikipedia page, her art is influenced by anime, manga and comic artists Charles Burnes and Daniel Clowes. Cool!
Now, look at this awesome artwork for the cover of Miss Anthropocene. Grimes commissioned it from Rupid Leejm, and it’s super cool. In fact, when she posted it to the gram she even recommended to her fans that they should support visual artists during quarantine. We love that!
The Artwork
Grimes has a strong digital presence in terms of presenting her own art. For instance, she has a huge archive of illustrations on Carbon Made.
In addition, Grimes even started a second IG account – grimesartofficial – in 2017 to post the INCREDIBLE artworks her fans made, which we totally love.
And, ramping it up a level. Just this year Grimes unveiled new work via LA gallery Maccarone’s online viewing room. The exhibition called Selling Out, comprises drawings, prints and photographs, as well as one work (also called Selling Out), which includes a legal document where the buyer acquires a portion of Grimes’s soul (…okay…). The piece of soul up for grabs has no set price, with Grimes inviting viewers to make an offer and decide how much it is worth…
Her Relationship…
OK, so we are not saying that Grimes’ relationship with Elon Musk is a work of art, but her baby daddy does have some art world credentials of his own…
Just recently Elon Musk’s SpaceX company made headlines by being the first private company to take humans to space, but did you know that art was on board too?! Artist Tristan Eaton has Mr Musk to thank for sending his Human Kind series into space, making him part of an elite club of artists – including Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg – whose works have left the planet. Who knows which artists will head to space next…
The Fashion
Grimes style is definitely a work of art. There are few people who have the ability to put clothes together the way that she does. She is basically a fashion icon and she doesn’t even have to think about it.
And it should be no surprise then, that her artwork appeared as a collaboration on a range of t-shirts with Yves Saint Laurent in 2013.
Text Lizzy Vartanian
