Despite the first serious work of British artist Richie Culver, a magazine cut-out of a Jesse Owens photo collaged with the words ‘Have you ever really loved anyone?’ was presented at Tate Modern as a part of a group show, he neither received any art education nor was exposed to art growing up. Born and raised in the small town of Hull in the north of England, Culver worked in a caravan factory after leaving school, and it was not until his twenties that he thought of pursuing art as a career.

However, ignorance of the rules only benefited the artist – he was never afraid to break them, defying elitism and traditional canons with his bold and burningly sincere works. Two years ago, he posted on Instagram a photo of his controversial and now famous Did U Cum Yet? canvas, referring to the masturbatory act of presenting art on social media. The picture instantly went viral. People were so actively discussing it that Culver decided to destroy the original painting. After that, he released a book featuring the online comments received in response to his piece.

The edition was quickly sold out. However, the story did not end there either. In collaboration with contemporary dance and experimental hip-hop artist and choreographer Blackhaine, Richie Culver released a two-track EP, Did u cum yet / I’m not gonna cum, as a sonic extension of his project. The record is accompanied by a film that guides the viewer through the furiously desperate monologue of a small-town drug dealer.

Η συνέχεια εδώ.