Mason Storm

The balaclava masked Mason Storm is an artist who creates bold, daring and provocative works. Not to be confused with the porn star of the same name, the British artist Mason Storm made a name for himself by working across the genres of sculpture, print-making and painting. Working anonymously, his rock star cum hard-ass persona is juxtaposed by his ability to recreate Renaissance-era, canonical paintings with a contemporary twist.

SCANDALOUS, RELIGIOUS ART

Mason Storm claims to not be a religious man himself, rather appreciates the beauty in religious art. In his blog, (yes, he blogs), he writes that religious art is the bridge between beauty and belief, a telling insight into the way humans have perpetuated cultural and societal traditions through art with religious narratives.

Painting in the canonical style of the Renaissance and Baroque Masters such as Caravaggio or Vermeer, Mason Storm's religiously-themed work has some surprising, even shocking visual elements. With a fresh take on the version of Christ on the cross, a crucified Jesus bears tattoos saying "Only Dad Can Judge Me". Or in his version of a weeping Mary, she is seen in heavy eyeliner and lipstick. Mason Storm says that these twists are not disrespectful, they're just his way of questioning the narrative.

MASON STORM & BANKSY: A COMPLICIT DUO?

Much like the great Britist street artist, Banksy, Mason Storm hides his identity. But in the past decade, he has made some not-so-wild claims saying that he used to work with Banksy as an assistant and even went on to hint that he was the artist behind the Banksy painting "Developed Parliament" that went for a whopping price of £9 million in auction.

Many critics tend to entertain Storm's claims to be true, saying that given the level of expertise and technical savvy in Mason's other paintings, it wouldn't be far-fetched for him to have created this work signed Banksy. Further fueling the controversy, Mason Storm released his own version of Monkey Parliament limited edition prints in 2010. These prints were in the same artistic vein as the so-called Banksy painting. Perhaps Mason Storm is simply being a provocative, buzz-feeding hype man, or perhaps his work was indeed reappropriated by Banksy. The mystery will live on.

MASON STORM AND NORMAN ROCKWELL: SATIRE AND IRONY

In the same way that Mason Storm has created his own spin on Baroque and Renaissance paintings, he has also found a way to satirize the art of Norman Rockwell. With his idyllic scenes of sweet domestic western life, Storm adds in haunting details that reminds the viewer that everything is not as picture-perfect as it might seem. This can be seen in his print, Flyer Liar or another well-known print entitled, Toxic Beach. For this reason, Mason Storm is part of a growing generation of contemporary street artists who use their artistic medium of choice bring to light the perils and thorns within our society.

BUY MASON STORM PRINTS ON RISE ART

On Rise Art, you can find a Mason Storm prints, although they usually sell out quickly. We advise you to get them whilst they are in stock.