This artist created a coat to flash her own art at galleries
Pssst… wanna buy some art? Artist Lilly Piri created this amazing Art Dealer coat to get her artworks seen at exhibitions…
Readers may remember our first Lilly Piri interview when she talked about her surreal and magical pencilled world of huge eyed-girls and animal friends. Her style as an artist has since evolved to include an increasing focus in still life painting, and her current glorious mission is to make a painting a day (she’s currently on day 116!).
Known for her Little Galaxie world and book cover illustrations, including Friday Barnes – Girl Detective, Lilly Piri has recently invented an AMAZING new way to present her artworks when attending exhibitions and gallery openings. Check out the superbly sneaky sumptuosity of her Art Dealer coat!
“I wanted to have a bit of fun with going to an art opening, do a little performance art, and take advantage of coat weather (a bit rare in Queensland),” said Lilly Piri when we asked her how she’d come up with the idea.
She first mooted the idea on Facebook to see what people thought, because the hivemind always helps: “If I tape a bunch of my small paintings to the inside of a coat and walk around the gallery tonight, intermittently opening my coat and asking people if they want to buy some art, will I get kicked out?”
Everyone naturally thought it was an awesome idea. No-one thought she would be kicked out.
“So I put a bunch of my daily paintings in snap lock bags and pinned them to the inside to make the Art Dealer coat,” explained Lilly.
“Then I wore it to an art gallery opening and flashed people.”
“It was very fun. My targets were amused and impressed, and it was fun to have an ice breaker, too.”
Who would be so mean as to kick Lilly out? No-one, we’re delighted to say… for her idea was just TOO awesome.
The Art Dealer coat is currently a standard coat once more, but Lilly did tell us she might recreate it for the next art opening on her calendar.
You can meet Lilly Piri at the Brisbane Finders Keepers event on 2-3 July 2016, when she’ll be sharing a stall with fellow art superstar Mel Stringer. Also, RA Spratt’s
fifth Friday Barnes book will be out in August with Lilly’s illustration is on the cover.
You can also check out Lilly’s Etsy store for enchanting Rainbow Love Deer stickers and more.
