CELEBRITIES
What are Johnny Depp’s new paintings about? How much does one cost?
The 61-year-old actor unveils his new art collection, ‘Tarot’ - a limited editions series of 195. Perhaps “his most revealing and evocative” to date.
Like a lot of creative people, Johnny Depp likes to express himself in a number of different ways. Obviously his acting skills is what most people know him for but he has shown that he has other strings to his bow. A music fan all of his life, he has gone out on the road with his band Hollywood Vampires - the supergroup he formed with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry. He also joined his old pal Jeff Beck for a string of European dates before the English guitarist’s untimely death in January last year.
Then there is his passion for the visual arts. For Depp, painting is the ideal way to disconnect from the madness of the outside world and give him some other creative stimulus at the same time.
Johnny Depp’s new art collection unveiled in London
During some downtime, Johnny’s been in the studio working on a new project - a series entitled Tarot which includes four works: The Lovers, The Empress, The Emperor and Strength.
Depp drew inspiration from his own life experiences, dreams and delved into the depths of his subconscious, to create the four figures which make up this new release - the fifth collection, following on from Friends & Heroes I, Friends & Heroes II, Five and The Bunnyman Genesis.
“The Lovers” depicts a well-dressed couple with the male figure holding a single red rose; “The Empress” meanwhile features a blond-haired female figure wearing a crown - a tribute to French singer Vanessa Paradis with whom Depp had a 14-year romantic relationship before their split in June 2012. They have two children (Lily-Rose Melody and Jack), and the actor says they remain “very close”.
“Strength” depicts a gazing elephant and is inscribed with the words: “Why do you want to fight with something that doesn’t want to fight with you?”. It was inspired by a painting Depp made when Paradis was pregnant.
“The Emperor” is a mysterious figure without eyes. The character, styled as a 17th-century French Monarch, was inspired by a work Depp created while filming Jeanne du Barry in Versailles. As Depp explains, The Emperor “is not really there”. He adds, “It kind of represents ignorant power. I certainly wouldn’t dare put my own face as an emperor - never. I made ‘The Emperor’ somewhat faceless because if you put the Emperor next to the Empress who do you trust?
Depp hold a longstanding interest in Tarot
Tarot is a series which is limited to 195 editions, with prints exclusively available from UK limited edition print and art retailer Castle Fine Art, who have over 30 galleries worldwide.
Ultimately, Depp hopes collectors will form their own meanings and interpretations from his artwork, whether read individually or collectively as a set.
Each unframed print measures 29′' x 46′'. The pieces are silkscreened with archival pigment on 640gsm watermarked, cotton Saunders Waterford paper - individually hand signed by the artist. Johnny Depp’s Tarot collection is priced at $4,500 for an individual framed piece and is available through Castle Fine Art.