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Dressed To Kill (James Bond) – Premium Canvas by Mark Davies

To say I have quite a few collectors who are avid James Bond fans is an understatement! So here you go, it’s ‘Dressed to Kill’ and I hope that it leaves you both shaken AND stirred!

I like to mix things up, and that is not just subject matter but also on the style of my work. Art with meaning without a doubt and some are so intensely driven by multi layered narratives, complex concepts, and hidden messaging. However, sometimes it is great to simply go crazy on impact and technical aspects to create a piece that can simply be enjoyed and embraced for its subject matter, and this is what I have done here!

In 2023 I set about planning what would go into my Spring / Summer collection for 2024 and a James Bond London scene was pencilled in from the start. I am so proud of my work to date on Britain’s favourite secret agent and the mix of imagery, from subtle scenes that showcase the interaction between machine and landscape through to pieces laden with movie props that take an eternity to seek out.

My initial thinking for this piece was to make it more London than Bond and that would have been successful and that has not been dismissed. However, as this collection evolved, it became clear that it has an intense quality and genuine depth (and darkness) to it and for me, I always strive to curate a body of work that works beautifully as one as well as individually. So, the decision was to create something with genuine class and have big impact yet be subtle and pulled back, not to be overcrowded. Therefore, the role of London would become a beautiful backdrop on the horizon rather than dominating.

I investigated iconic scenes from our capital that featured within the movies and toyed with the idea of using the MI6 building as the base. However, what you see here is the splendid architecture of Somerset House that creates the structure for the scene, with a combination of Bond’s headquarters and the Houses of Parliament and the stunning dome of St Pauls. Somerset House is perfect as was featured in both ‘Goldeneye’ and ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ and it allowed me to overlay some subtle details for you lot to seek out, some are so subtle I struggle to remember what they are, so if you don’t know then the chances are that we are in the same boat! I have managed to get every Bond movie poster overlaid with the background of the scene so good luck with that!

As dramatic and varied as the movies are, the overriding quality is class, utter class, be it through the Aston Martin or the evening wear. I set about creating a piece that resonated style and one that could simply be enjoyed as the very best of Bond. So, the emphasis was switched from a complex narrative to one of technical precision where I challenged myself to produce an incredibly complicated image by means of the production aspect to create a unified quality rather than a mishmash of characters that you often see. It had to look believable.

There are many examples of pieces that features the iconic Bonds over the years, each with their own style and done with varying degrees of success. Each to their own and all. My goal was to take the 6 James Bond characters (I wasn’t fussed with the other one that barely anyone can remember his name) and get them in front of you. For those who have followed my work for a while will no doubt know that I love any opportunity to get an iconic car into the scene and this was always on the list. Is there a more iconic and beautiful car?

Everyone has their favourite Bond and car, for me personally it was Connery and the DB5 as it brings me back to my childhood. The earlier films are the ones that always resonate with me. I’ll be honest, I am still to find time to watch the latest movie and am still crushed from someone telling me that he dies! Who knew?!

As an artist I feel that you need to challenge yourself, to keep building and showing progression in your ability. It was incredibly satisfying to create something that was so technically difficult and to see how it sits in print. I can’t wait to hear what my collectors think to ‘Dressed to Kill’, hopefully this is the ultimate piece for the true James Bond fan. I’ll drink to that, although I’ll take a Malibu over a Martini!